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Several of the Indians wore crowns of wood 










Over Harry’s head crouched the black jaguar. 

See page 112. 


Xhe Boy Adventurers 


In the Forbidden Land 



Verrill 


Illustrated with drawings and photographs 
by the author 


G. P. Putnam's Sons 
New York and London 
JLbc l^nfcfterbocl^er ipre60 
1922 



Copyright, 1922 
by 

A. Hyatt Verrill 


Made in the United States of America 




OCT 3172 

©CLA683816 


wc. 1 • 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. — The Boys Make a Purchase . . 3 

II. — On the Trail of the Radium God . 14 

III. — The Boys Hear Some Tales . . 35 

IV. — Stranded ..... 54 

V. — A Battle to the Death ... 69 

VI. — Among the Chokois ... 83 

VII. — A Narrow Escape .... 105 

VIII. — Marooned in the Jungle . . 123 

IX. — Prisoners 138 

X. — The Boys Learn Their Fate . . 157 

XI. — The Boys Make a Discovery . . 174 

XII. — A Day of Terror .... 195 

XIII. — A Message from the Dead . . 220 

XIV. — Out of the Clouds . . . 258 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Over Harry’s Head Crouched the Black 
Jaguar .... .Frontispiece 

The Launch was Stranded High and Dry 58 

The Jaws of the Crocodile Snapped upon 
THE Tapir’s Leg 80 

The Chokois were Busy Preparing for the 
Dance 96 

The Indians were Gorgeous with Beads 
AND Silver 110 

Several of the Indians Wore Crowns of 
Wood ....... 120 

The Canoe Stopped for the Noonday 
Rest ....... ISO 

Grinning at them was a Skeleton Clad in 
Armor 256 


V 



THE BOY ADVENTURERS 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


», , , 

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M 



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♦ 


I 

t 


In the Forbidden Land 

CHAPTER I 

THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 

“Say, Fred, ever been to an auction? ” exclaimed 
Harry Woodward as he and his cousin were stroll- 
through a side street and he noticed a red flag 
hung over the doorway of a dingy shop. 

“No, what’s it like?” asked Fred. 

“Lots of fun,” replied the other. “Let’s go in!” 

Pushing their way through the rather shabbily 
dressed crowd that filled the place, the two boys 
secured a position near the loud-voiced auctioneer 
and watched with amusement and interest while 
article after article was held up for inspection and 
was rapidly sold to the highest bidder. 

“ Gosh, I never saw such a lot of odds and ends,” 


3 


4 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


declared Harry as pictures, furniture, mirrors, 
crockery, jewelry and rugs followed one another in 
rapid succession. 

“Someone breaking up housekeeping, I guess,” 
suggested Fred. “I’d bid on something myself 
just for fun, if there was anything I could use; but 
I’d look nice carrying a bedstead or a chair home, 
wouldn’t I, even if I did get it for a dollar or 
so.” 

As he spoke, the auctioneer stooped and picked 
up a small dark-colored object which looked like 
a grotesque paper-weight. 

“Here, ladies and gentleman,” he shouted, “is 
a genuine curiosity, a idol, a Indian god, a reg’lar 
Billikins, a omen of good luck, even if he does look 
like Old Nick. What am I offered, ladies and 
gents? What am I offered for this here remark- 
able curiosity, what’ll do equal well for a orna- 
ment or a paper-weight? Speak up ladies and 
gents!” 

“ There’s your chance,” exclaimed Harry. “It’s 
a queer looking thing and father might like it, — 
that is, if it’s really an Indian thing, — and there 
doesn’t seem ” 

“ Ten cents I’m offered ! ” interrupted the voice 


THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 5 


of the auctioneer. “Ten cents for this genuine 
mascot, ten cents! Why, ladies and gents, you 
must think you’re in a five an’ ten cent store! 
Ten cents! Anybody bid fifteen.^^ Fifteen you 
say ! Fifteen ” 

“Twenty!” cried Fred suddenly overcoming 
his diffidence. 

“Thank you, young man! Thank you!” ex- 
claimed the auctioneer, “Twenty cents I’m offered. 
Ah ! Twenty-five from the lady yonder ! Twenty- 
five! Anybody bid fifty?” 

“Fifty!” promptly called Harry entering into 
the spirit of the fun. 

“Fifty ! ” repeated the auctioneer. “Fifty cents 
I’m offered. Anybody offer fifty-five? Fifty I’m 

bid; fifty, fifty Ah, fifty-five you say! 

Fifty-five, fifty-five ” 

“Say, how much money have you got?” whis- 
pered Fred, as he searched his own pockets. “ I’ve 
only sixty cents with me.” 

“I’ve half a dollar,” replied Harry, “Let’s bid a 
dollar, I guess it’s worth that.” 

By now the bids had increased to seventy-five 
cents, and the auctioneer was crying: “Going at 
seventy-five! Anybody offer eighty? Eighty! 


6 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Anyone bid eighty-five? Going at eighty-five, 
going ” 

“A dollar!’’ yelled Fred. 

“ Good for you, son!” exclaimed the auctioneer. 
“The young man bids one dollar! One dollar; 
anybody offer one and a quarter? One dollar! 
Going for one dollar! Going — going — gone! — 
for one dollar to the young gentleman here!” 
The auctioneer’s gavel fell, Fred handed the auc- 
tioneer his money and received the little image. 
He found himself reddening at the attention he 
had attracted, so hastily shoving his purchase 
into his pocket he and Harry hurried from the 
shop. 

“Well, you got it anyway!” commented Harry 
as the two reached the street. “Let’s see what the 
thing looks like.” 

“ Gee, it’s ugly enough to be real ! ” declared Fred 
as he drew the object from his pocket. “And 
it does look a little like some of Uncle’s things 
that he got in Mexico.” 

“It’s heavy,” remarked Harry. “It feels as if 
it were made of lead. That fellow was right when 
he said ’twould make a good paper-weight.” 

“Well, you’d better take it home to Uncle 


THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 7 


Frank,” said Fred. “You can tell him it’s a pres- 
ent from us both, as long as we had to pool our 
money to get it.” 

Then, with other things to interest them, the 
two boys dismissed the matter from their minds, 
and presently, reached the corner of the avenue 
where they stood waiting for the bus. 

“Don’t forget to come over tonight and we’ll 
develop those pictures we took,” shouted Harry as 
Fred boarded the bus for his own home. 

“All right,” called Fred. “Don’t forget to 
give Uncle Frank the Billikins.” 

When Harry reached home he found his father 
busy with callers in his study and going to his own 
room he placed the little idol on a pile of papers 
on his table and buried himself in his latest book. 

But at dinner he remembered the curio. “Oh 
Dad,” he exclaimed, “I’ve a present for you. 
Some sort of an Indian god or something. Fred 
bought it at an auction for a dollar.” 

His father laughed, “I expect he wasted his 
dollar then,” he said. “Probably it’s neither a 
god, nor Indian — collectors keep pretty sharp 
watch of such places.” 

“Well, the auctioneer said it was real, — and it’s 


8 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


ugly enough anyway,” replied Harry. “I’ll run 
up and get it.” 

As Harry set the idol in front of his father Dr. 
Woodward uttered an exclamation of surprise. 
“You boys certainly have fools’ luck!” he de- 
clared. “And you bought it for a dollar, you say? 
Well, well!” 

“Then it is real?” cried Harry, relieved to think 
they had not been “stung.” 

“Absolutely,” replied his father, “and a most 
valuable and interesting specimen. Unique, I might 
say, — at least I’ve never seen anything just like it. 
Did the auctioneer say where it came from?” 

“No,” replied Harry. “We didn’t ask. He 
just said it was Indian, and was an omen of good 
luck like a Billikins and would do for a paper- 
weight. It’s awfully heavy, — feels as if it were 
made of lead.” 

“That’s what puzzles me,” said his father as he 
examined the ugly little carving with his pocket 
lens. “I can’t seem to identify the mineral from 
which it is made. This is a most interesting find.” 

“Well, do let it go until after dinner,” begged 
Harry’s mother. “7 think it’s the most out- 
rageously hideous thing you’ve had yet.” 


THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 9 


“Quite right, my dear,” agreed Dr. Wood- 
ward smiling as he pocketed his lens and resumed 
his interrupted meal. “It is hideous, but the more 
hideous an Indian idol the more important a’nd 
valuable it is.” 

Dinner was scarcely over when Fred arrived, and 
leaving Dr. Woodward examining the idol and 
studying the illustrations in huge volumes of 
Indian lore, the two boys ran up to Harry’s room 
intent on developing their negatives. 

“Where the dickens did I put that pack of 
films,” exclaimed Fred as he rummaged about. 
“Oh, here they are, under all these papers.” 

Entering the dark room, — for the boys pre- 
ferred to develop each negative separately rather 
than use tanks or similar methods — the two were 
soon watching the ever fascinating process of 
seeing the picture appear on the milky -white film. 
But as the dark marks and lines grew upon the 
film’s surface they were puzzled. 

“That’s funny,” exclaimed Fred, “I don’t re- 
member taking any picture like that. What’s 
that big black spot in the centre? Looks like a 
big fire or something.” 

“Search me,” replied Harry, “Maybe it’s light 


10 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


struck or something. We can tell better after 
it’s fixed.” 

But as the second film was developed they were 
still more puzzled, for across the centre of this was 
the same irregular, black mark. 

“Gosh, there’s something wrong,” announced 
Harry. “I never had any trouble before. I 
wonder if anyone’s meddled with these films.” 

In rapid succession they developed the other 
four films and on each was the same black blotch, 
dense and opaque as though the boys had pointed 
the camera towards a blinding light. 

“Well, they’re every one ruined anyway,” 
lamented Harry as they held the fixed films to the 
light. “It beats me. Let’s go down and ask 
Dad what the trouble is.” 

Carrying the developed films, the boys de- 
scended to Dr. Woodward’s study and in a few 
words explained their errand. 

“The films are light struck,” he declared after 
examining them. “Are you sure the shutter of 
the camera works properly?” 

“That’s all right,” Harry assured him, “We tried 
it just now, and there’s no leak in the dark room. 
We’ve never had any trouble before.” 


THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 11 


“Where have you had the films since you used 
them?” asked his father. 

“Why, just on my table,” replied Harry. “I 
put them there this morning and I don’t think 
anyone’s touched them as they were under a lot 
of papers and when I came in this afternoon I put 
that idol on top of the papers I remember.” 

Dr. Woodward whistled. “You say you put 
the idol on them?” he queried with a new note of 
interest in his tone. ‘'How was it placed? Just 
show me with the idol here.” 

“Oh, I just stood it up like this,” explained 
Harry lifting the little image and placing it upright 
on the table. “But what’s that got to do with it? ” 

“That’s the whole solution!” cried Dr. Wood- 
ward excitedly. “Boys, you’ve made an astound- 
ing discovery! I don’t know what the idol is 
made from, but whatever it is, it’s more valuable 
than gold, yes, or platinum, — it’s radio-active, — 
a radium ore. See here, the spots on the films 
are the exact shape and size of the idol’s base! 
Why boys, if the source of this idol can be located 
it will revolutionize science and medicine and the 
arts, it will be the greatest discovery of modern 
times and it will bring a fortune to the discoverer!” 


12 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


The boys had never seen Dr. Woodward so 
excited and enthusiastic before, and, too amazed 
to speak, scarcely comprehending the import of 
his words, they stood listening in round-eyed 
surprise. 

“Gosh!” cried Fred at last. “And I bought 
that thing for a dollar! Do you mean he’s full 
of radium. Uncle Frank?” 

“Not exactly,” explained Dr. Woodward con- 
trolling his excitement. “But it’s made from 
some rock or mineral or clay which is so highly 
radio-active that it affected six of your films in an 
incredibly short space of time and nothing but a 
very rich radium ore could do that. But per- 
haps I spoke too hastily, — the idea rather took 
my breath away. A chemical test is the only 
means of being sure.” 

“Then, then all we’ve got to do is to find where 
that idol came from and we’ll be millionaires,” 
cried Harry. 

“It would seem so, offhand,” replied his father. 

“But ! We haven’t the remotest idea where 

the idol originated or where it was obtained, — 
it might have come from any part of Mexico or 
South or Central America. And even if it were 


THE BOYS MAKE A PURCHASE 13 


possible to learn where the former owner secured 
it we should be as badly off. It might have been 
brought hundreds or thousands of miles or even 
taken from a prehistoric grave or ruin. No, boys, 
marvellous and incredible as the discovery is, I’m 
afraid it’s a secret that will never be solved. It 
would be like searching for the famous needle 
in the hay.” 

“Well, I guess it’s worth the dollar and the films 
anyway!” remarked Fred. “I’m mighty glad 
we went into that old auction.” 

Dr. Woodward sat silent, thinking deeply and 
gazing fixedly at the grotesque and hideous little 
black image before him. But as the boys turned 
to leave the room he roused himself. 

“Perhaps you’d better not mention anything 
about this matter, boys,” he said. “At least not 
for the present. Something may come of it yet.” 


CHAPTER II 


ON THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 

Several days after the boys’ purchase of the 
radium god, as Fred called the remarkable idol. 
Dr. Woodward called them to his study one eve- 
ning. “Well, boys,” he began, as he leaned back 
in his chair and placing the tips of his fingers to- 
gether looked at the two with a twinkle in his 
eyes. “I have some news that may interest you. 
The idol is, as I thought, made of a radium ore. 
I had a small fragment assayed and it proves 
to be nearly fifty times richer in radio-active 
material than pitchblende or any known ore of 
radium.” 

• “Gee, that idol is a rich little rascal isn’t he!” 
exclaimed Harry. “It’s an awful shame we don’t 
know where he came from.” 

“I spoke to a friend in regard to the discovery,” 
continued his father, “and he’s so keenly in- 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 15 


terested he wishes to finance an expedition to try 
and trace the idol to its source.” 

“But you said that would be hopeless,” put 
in Fred. 

Dr. Woodward smiled. “It did appear so at 
the time,” he admitted. “But since then I have 
been making inquiries, partly in the interests of 
my mining friend but largely as I am most anxious 
to locate the unknown race who made the god, for 
experts all agree that it is totally distinct from the 
forms belonging to any American tribe known. 
Your auctioneer friend knew very little about it, — 
said it was among the personal belongings of a 
deceased mining engineer, — but I learned from 
other sources that the engineer spent a great deal 
of time in northern South America, — especially 
in Guiana — and that his last trip had been to 
Panama. As a result, I have decided to go to 
Panama and endeavor to trace the idol. How 
would you boys like to go along?” 

For a space the two boys stood speechless, for 
Dr. Woodward’s proposition had come so unex- 
pectedly. Then both let out a whoop. “How 
would we like to?” shouted Harry. “Gosh, how 
wouldn’t we like to ! Gee, Fred ! J ust think of the 


16 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


fun we’d have! Going to the tropics, and hunting 
and camping and having all sorts of adventures, 
and perhaps seeing Indians and everything. Say, 
wouldn’t it be great!” 

“You bet!” rejoined Fred enthusiasically, “But 
I don’t know if father and mother would let 
me go.” 

“Let’s go and ask ’em right now,” cried Harry. 
“Come on. Dad, won’t you come along too.^ You 
can tell Aunt Emma and Uncle Ben that Fred ’ll 
be all right.” 

“Well, well,” chuckled his father. “I suppose 
I’ve let myself in for it, but if it hadn’t been for 
you boys we’d never have had the idol, so I’ll 
have to see you through.” 

But when the two excited boys burst into Fred’s 
house and shouted out the good news, Fred’s 
parents looked far from pleased, and instantly 
both boys knew they would refuse to consent to 
Fred going. 

“Why, you must be absolutely crazy, Frank,” 
exclaimed Fred’s mother as Dr. Woodward seated 
himself. “No indeed, of course I’d never allow 
Fred to go to such a place. Why, he’d die of 
yellow fever or be killed by snakes or scorpions 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 17 


or tarantulas or some horrid creature, or he might 
be stabbed in the back by those treacherous 
natives.” 

“If you will go off to God-forsaken places on 
your tom-fool collecting hobby why can’t you 
pick healthful places at least.f^” demanded Fred’s 
father frowning over his glasses at Dr. Woodward. 
“I can’t imagine how you could even suggest tak- 
ing the boys to a place that’s a perfect pest-hole 
like Panama. Why, I remember when the rail- 
way was being built they said that a man died for 
every tie laid.” 

Dr. Woodward burst into a hearty laugh. 
“You’re a couple of old fogies!” he cried good 
naturedly . “As far as Panama’s concerned you’re 
living a dozen years behind time. Why, Ben, 
Panama’s the healthiest spot in the world to- 
day, — in the old days it was a pest-hole I admit, — 
there hasn’t been a case of yellow fever on the 
Isthmus for years, there’s no more danger from 
snakes than right here in New York, and there 
aren’t any ‘treacherous natives.’ You seem to 
forget that times change. I wonder if you really 
know that Panama’s an independent republic and 
that Uncle Sam has built the Canal and controls 


18 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


a good slice of the country and has transformed 
the cities from pest-holes, as you say, to the most 
sanitary of towns.” 

Fred’s father snorted. “Don’t be an idiot, 
Frank!” he exclaimed. “Of course I know about 
the Canal but you can’t make me think those 
beastly Spanish countries aren’t full of disease 
and cutthroats.” 

“No indeed!” chimed in his wife. “I remem- 
ber father used to tell most dreadful stories about 
Panama when he crossed the Isthmus on the way 
to California in ’49.” 

“Yes, and the spot where you’re living now was 
an unbroken wilderness in’49, and a dozen years 
ago there was a ramshackle shanty here, and goats 
wandering over the ledges. Just try and remem- 
ber some of the tales father used to tell about 
California in ’49. But you wouldn’t hesitate 
about letting Fred go there, would you?” 

“That’s different,” objected Fred’s father. “It’s 
part of the United States and there’s law and 
order.” 

“Difference fiddlesticks!” cried Dr. Wood- 
ward. “Now see here, Ben. Do you think I’d 
suggest taking Fred or would take Harry if I 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 19 


thought there was the least danger? If you want 
to find out the truth about Panama I’ll send over 
some books for you to read, but you know mighty 
well that’s not necessary. You can take my word 
for it.” 

“Well, I’m not going to decide until I can think 
it over and talk with some one else about it,” 
declared the other. “Maybe you’re right, but I 
want to be sure. You’ve always been getting 
into trouble and having close shaves, Frank, and 
I don’t believe you’ve grown up yet.” 

“Well, I’ve always come through safe and sound, 
haven’t I?” retorted Dr. Woodward. “And all 
my ‘scrapes’ as you call them haven’t hurt me. 
I’ll bet ’twould do your old liver a lot of good if 
you’d knocked around a bit yourself, Ben. And 
it isn’t fashionable to grow up nowadays you know. 
If there were any way to do it without kidnapping 
you I’d make you go along too, — I’ll wager it 
would make a new man of you.” 

“Make a corpse of me, you mean,” growled 
Fred’s father striving to hide a smile, for the 
other’s enthusiasm was contagious. “You’ll 
never catch me going to any of those hot, nigger 
countries.” 


go 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“But can’t I go?” begged Fred. 

“I’ll talk it over with your mother and with peo- 
ple I know who can see something besides the rom- 
antic side of things,” replied his father. “ It won’t 
hurt you to wait until tomorrow. I’ll give you 
my answer tomorrow afternoon.” And with 
this the boys had to be content, for they knew 
that when once Fred’s hard-headed, practical 
father made up his mind it was useless to try to 
coax or wheedle him into changing. 

But Harry’s father somewhat reassured them 
and declared that he felt sure Fred would be al- 
lowed to go. “Now spend all your time reading 
up on Panama, boys,” he added. “And you’ll 
have to try and learn a little Spanish, I’ll teach 
you evenings. There’s a lot to be done if we’re 
to get off on the next ship.” 

The following evening, Fred dashed into the 
Woodward home while the family was at dinner. 
“Hurrah!” he shouted, “I can go. Father says 
it’s all right. Hurrah for the radium god ! Gosh, 
but I’m glad we went to that auction ! ” 

“And that we had a dollar in our clothes!” 
chimed in Harry. 

“And for once I’m glad you’re not as orderly 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 21 


as you might be,” added his father, “and put the 
idol on top of your films.” 

“Well, I for one think you’ve all gone quite out 
of your heads over that hideous thing,” declared 
Mrs. Woodward with a smile that belied her 
words, and then, as they rose from the table, she 
added, “I hope you don’t find it a Jinx instead of 
a Billikins.” 

“If we find where it came from it will prove a 
Billikins beyond doubt,” replied her husband, 
“and then, my dear, you’ll have to admit that 
science sometimes does pay.” 

But the boys cared very little whether their idol 
would prove either a Jinx or a Billikins and, if the 
truth were known, they cared very little whether 
or not the source of the strange god was ever dis- 
covered. As long as it had been the means of 
starting them on a journey to the tropical lands 
of romance and adventure, they were perfectly 
satisfied to let the future take care of itself. For 
the succeeding week they had their hands full 
with studying Spanish, and making preparations 
for the trip. 

The days seemed fairly to fly by, and, almost 
before they knew it, they foimd themselves stand- 


22 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


ing on the steamer’s deck and waving farewells 
to Fred’s mother and father, to Mrs. Woodward, 
and to their friends upon the dock. 

The trip proved seven days of delight to the 
two boys. They never tired of gazing at the 
skittering flying fish and the yellow sargassum; 
they watched with interest as the ship steamed 
past the little island of San Salvador and threaded 
its way among the low Bahamas with their white 
sandy beaches, their nodding palms and brilliant 
colored water. Then Haiti loomed ahead, they 
caught a glimpse of the hazy mountains of Cuba 
to the west and for hours the ship slipped past the 
rich green Haitian coast with its lofty mountains 
in the background and swung close to lonely 
Navassa Island which gained added interest in 
the boys’ eyes when they learned it had once been 
a stronghold of the buccaneers. 

Daily, too, they took their Spanish lessons from 
Dr. Woodward, and by chatting with their fellow 
passengers added greatly to their knowledge of 
Panama. Then, one day, they came on deck to 
find high mountains stretching as far as eye could 
see along the horizon and with a thrill of excitement 
they looked for the first time upon the coast of 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 23 


South America and the tip end of the Andes. But 
it was not until hours later that, far ahead, a 
smudge of smoke hung above the low coast, the 
slender tovrers of a wireless station rose against 
the sky; and shortly, with the huge hangars of 
Coco Solo and the big Hotel Washington looming 
against the background of hills and palms, the 
ship steamed between the long breakwaters and 
entered the harbor of Colon. 

To the boys it seemed very strange to see the 
American flag flying from the speedy launches of 
the Port Captain and doctor that came dancing 
alongside, despite the fact that they knew the 
Canal and the Zone were under the government of 
the United States. But when, an hour later, they 
were in their cool room in the Washington Hotel 
and looking at the blue Caribbean Sea sparkling 
beyond the palm trees a new surprise awaited 
them. 

‘‘Say!” suddenly exclaimed Harry, “Some- 
thing’s wrong here. Our ship came in between 
those breakwaters and now the sun’s setting out 
there. Gosh, does the sun set in the east here?” 

His father, who stood near, laughed. “Not 
quite,” he assured the boys. “But it does set in 


24 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the Atlantic and when you go over to Panama 
you’ll see it rise from the Pacific. It’s the only 
spot in the world where that happens.” 

“But how can it.^ ” asked Fred, puzzled. “The 
Atlantic is east and the Pacific west.” 

“Not here,” replied Dr. Woodward, “Colon’s 
farther west than Panama, the Canal runs north 
and south and the Caribbean Sea is on the west- 
ern side of the Isthmus and the Pacific Ocean is 
on the east.” 

“Gee, but I am all twisted !” declared Harry. 
“We’ll have to learn the points of the compass all 
over again.” 

But the boys found so much to interest them 
that they soon forgot all about the topsy-turvy 
sun and sea. They made many friends, and while 
Dr. Woodward was busy making inquiries about 
the former owner of the idol, they wandered about 
Colon and Cristobal, strolled through the fascinat- 
ing Hindu and Chinese shops, practiced their 
newly-acquired Spanish on the natives in the 
market place and took a motor car trip to Gatun 
and the immense locks of the Canal. One day, 
too, a friend invited them on a picnic to old fort 
San Lorenzo, and they spent a glorious day, pok- 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 25 


ing about in the dungeons and barracks and among 
the ancient cannon and crumbling ruins of the 
quaint old fort at the mouth of the Chagres 
where Morgan and his buccaneers, on the way 
to sack Panama, had fought and conquered the 
Spaniards. 

But the crowning event of their short stop in 
Colon came when one of the gentlemen they had 
met suggested that they join him on a day’s 
hunting trip. 

“You’ll have some unique experiences, even if 
we don’t get any game,” he remarked. “A motor- 
boat trip through a forest and a chance to see a 
bit of the jungle.” 

“Oh, now you’re joking,” declared Harry. 
“How can we go through a forest in a motor boat, 
unless you mean on a river.” 

“Just wait and see,” laughed Mr. Roberts, and 
the boys had to be content with this. 

Taking the early train the next morning, they 
alighted at a tiny station on the borders of Gatun 
Lake, and instantly the boys understood, for, as 
far as they could see, thousands of dead trees 
reared their gaunt and skeleton-like branches 
above the surface of the lake. The motor boat 


26 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


proved to be a big dug-out canoe or “cayuca” 
hollowed from an immense log of Spanish cedar 
and fitted with a detachable motor, but it was 
comfortable, steady and fast, and as they sped 
across the lake and into the drowned and flooded 
forest the boys declared it was the strangest and 
most interesting spot they had ever seen. How 
the steersman ever found his way was a mystery, 
for the closely placed trees formed a labyrinth 
with no visible channel or marks as guides, and 
the boat turned and twisted in and out among the 
trees in a most bewildering fashion. But Harry 
and Fred gave little thought to this, for there were 
far too many other things to keep eyes and minds 
busy. The bright-colored orchids on the dead 
trees, the floating islands, which their friend told 
them were merely fallen trees overgrown with 
grass, water plants and lilies; the great, clumsy- 
looking pelicans that flapped past and dove, with 
tremendous splashes, after luckless fish, and the 
hundreds of cormorants that covered the trees like 
strange black fruit and gazed with craning necks 
and curious eyes at the intruders. Once too, a huge 
manatee, or sea-cow, rose close to the boat and 
blew with a low bellow that startled the boys half 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 27 


out of their wits; and more than once they spied 
big alligators dozing on fallen tree trunks. 

“Gosh, a follow’d have to have eyes all around 
his head to see everything here!” exclaimed Fred, 
as he turned quickly from watching a dainty white 
heron to see a flock of screeching parrots Harry 
had spied. 

The next instant, the canoe bumped with a 
dull thud, rose high in air and rolled far to one 
side, throwing the two boys from their seats. 

With startled exclamations they seized the 
edges of the craft, not knowing what had happened 
and expecting to find themselves struggling in the 
black water. But in a moment the canoe righted 
and continued merrily on its way, and a laugh 
from their host reassured them. 

“Only a water-logged tree,” he explained. 
“We’re always striking them or snags. No dan- 
ger, these cayucas are regular hurdle-racers. Just 
sit still and they’ll ride over logs or snags without 
trouble.” 

However, despite his words, the boys could not 
resist holding on for dear life every time the dug- 
out bumped over a log or banged into a concealed 
stump. 


28 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


The boys had learned from their books that 
Gatun Lake had been made by damming the 
Chagres River so that it flooded a vast area of 
country, but until they actually were navigating 
it they had no idea what it was like. Mr. Roberts 
pointed out great wooded islands which he told 
them had once been mountains, and, several 
times, as they crossed open spaces of water, he 
informed the boys that they were passing over 
good sized towns and villages far beneath the sur- 
face. Then at last, the trees became thicker, the 
canoe was slowed down, they entered a narrow 
winding waterway choked with trees and stumps 
and with jungle covered banks, and presently ran 
upon a little sand beach at the foot of a tumbling 
waterfall. 

“Whew!” exclaimed Fred as the boys stepped 
from the canoe and gazed at the dense forest rising 
on all sides. “I never dreamed there were such 
big trees.” 

“And so close to Colon,” added Harry. “Why 
I thought this place was all civilized and settled 
and everything and this is just like being out in the 
midst of a jungle.” 

“So it is,” said Mr. Roberts, “You could tramp 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 29 


from here straight through to the heart of South 
America and never leave unbroken bush, but come 
along, boys. Let’s see if we can find any game.” 

Fascinated by the giant trees, the strange 
vegetation, the immense trailing vines, and the 
gorgeous sky-blue butterflies, the boys followed 
after their guide as he picked his way through the 
forest, scanning the spots of bare earth for signs 
of game and frequently stopping to listen atten- 
tively or to study the tangle of vines, branches 
and foliage overhead. To the boys everything 
was new. Toucans barked in the tree tops, par- 
rots flew screeching from their feeding places, huge 
woodpeckers beat tatoos upon dead limbs and 
big lizards scuttled off among the undergrowth. 

Suddenly, from an opening among the trees, a 
small, brown creature dashed away like a streak of 
light and the roar of a gun echoed through the forest. 

“Got him!” exclaimed Mr. Roberts as he 
hurried forward with the two at his heels. 

“What is it?” asked Harry as the man picked 
up the dead animal. 

“Nikki,” replied the other. “Agouti in other 
words. Sort of overgrown wild Guinea pig but 
good eating.” 


30 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


For some time after, the three continued on their 
way, until Fred, glancing up, spied a big, black 
bird standing motionless upon an out jutting 
branch. Not knowing what it was and almost 
unconsciously, Fred raised his gun and fired, and 
at the report the bird came crashing down. 

“Wild turkey!” ejaculated Mr. Roberts as he 
and Harry ran up. 

“It doesn’t look like any turkey I ever saw,” 
declared Harry. 

“Well, I guess they’re not real turkeys,” ad- 
mitted the other. “Sort of pheasant, — curassow I 
believe is the right name. But you’ll find it’s 
just as good to eat as any other turkey.” 

For several hours more, the three tramped about 
through the forest but without success. Once the 
boys caught sight of a troop of white-faced 
monkeys and grew wildly excited. Another time 
they heard a low, rumbling roar which they 
thought was thunder, until their friend assured 
them it was howling monkeys miles away, and 
close to the edge of a small stream they saw the 
deep imprints of a tapir’s hoofs. 

“There’s plenty of game,” declared their com- 
panion, “but to get much, good dogs are needed. 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 31 


However, weTe not empty handed and we may 
get something on the way back.” 

Seated on a rock beside the brook, they ate their 
lunch and chatted, the boys plying their friend 
with questions and laughing heartily at the foolish 
ideas they had held about tropical jungles. 

“I wonder what Aunt Emma and Uncle Ben 
would say to this!” exclaimed Harry. ‘T expect 
they’d be frightened to death if they knew we 
were here. They’d think the place was full of 
snakes and scorpions and all sorts of biting 
things, not to mention wild animals and Indians.” 

“Yes and ’tisn’t even hot or swampy, and we 
haven’t seen a snake or a scorpion,” laughed Fred. 
“Are there any Indians in this forest.^” he added. 

“Not within a hundred miles or so,” replied 
Mr. Roberts. “Plenty of them in the interior 
though. Wild ones too. I’ve heard that some of 
them kill everyone that goes into their country, 
but I can’t say how true it is. You’ll see some of 
the San Bias boys in Colon if you look for them; 
short, brown fellows with broad shoulders and big 
heads. Dress like a Chink with shirts outside of 
their pants, and always wear little bits of hats 
stuck on top of their heads.” 


32 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Gosh, we saw some yesterday,” exclaimed 
Harry. “We couldn’t imagine what they were. 
They don’t look like Indians.” 

“Are they wild?” asked Fred. 

The other laughed at the boys’ excited in- 
terest. “No, they’re peaceable,” he replied, 
“Live down the coast on the islands mostly and 
come to Colon to sell ivory nuts and coconuts. 
Many of them have been sailors on Yankee ships, 
and they all talk English. Why, a lot of them 
have been to New York and Coney Island. Old 
Charley Robinson, the chief, knows more about 
the East Side than I do.” 

“Well, I’d like to see some real wild Indians,” 
declared Fred as, luncheon over, the three rose 
and started down the stream towards the lake. 

“Perhaps you will,” replied the other, “Dr. 
Woodward tells me he’s down here to study and 
collect among the Indian tribes, but I guess you 
won’t find them very wild. I reckon most of the 
yarns about them are just made out of whole 
cloth.” 

Several times agoutis scuttled from the path- 
way into the bushes and once a flock of “ Paisanos ” 
or small pheasants were flushed, but there was no 


THE TRAIL OF THE RADIUM GOD 33 


chance to shoot, and not until the boys were almost 
out of the woods did Harry’s turn come. Then, 
as he stopped for a moment to look about, he heard 
a slight rustle and caught a glimpse of a good-sized 
bird stalking off among the trees. At first, when 
he picked it up, he thought his shot had cut off the 
bird’s tail, for there was no sign of tail feathers, 
but when he hurried to the others and called 
attention to it Mr. Roberts laughed. 

“That’s perfectly natural,” he declared. “ These 
fellows never have tails. The natives call ’em 
‘Perdiz’ or partridge, but a bird sharp who was 
down here said they are Tinamous. All I know 
is they’re the tenderest and best meat there is, 
even if the flesh is blue.” 

“ Well, I’ve seen and heard a lot of queer things 
since I came here,” cried Harry, “but a bird 
without a tail and with blue meat is the queerest 
yet.” 

But when, that evening, the boys sat down to 
dinner and dined on the game they had secured 
they both vowed that the blue flesh of Harry’s 
prize, strange as it looked, was the best they had 
ever eaten. 

“I’ve found out a little about that man Hender- 


34 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


son, the mining engineer,” Dr. Woodward told 
the boys. “He was on the other side of the 
Isthmus and was pretty well known in Panama 
City. We’ll go across tomorrow and see if we 
can find out what part of the country he visited.” 

The trip by train across the Isthmus, and with 
frequent views of the great Canal with steamers 
being locked through, was interesting and novel, 
and, as the train dashed for miles across a cause- 
way through the lake, the boys chatted of their 
experience in the drowned forest and jungle. 
Then, at last, the train pulled into the station at 
Panama City and from the Hotel Tivoli on Ancon 
Hill the boys looked across the picturesque Span- 
ish town to the broad Pacific gleaming under the 
noonday sun. Although they found the quaint 
streets, the foreign-looking buildings, the ancient 
walls and the teeming, crowded streets of Panama 
interesting and new, and while they thoroughly 
enjoyed a trip to the ruins of Old Panama with its 
associations of Morgan and his pirates, yet they 
were all impatience to get away from civilization 
and into the interior. 


CHAPTER III 

THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 

Then, one day. Dr. Woodward announced that 
they would start for the interior the following 
afternoon, and both boys shouted with joy. 

“Where are we going?” cried Harry. 

“Have you found where the god came from?” 
queried Fred. 

“Will we see Indians and wild animals and 
have adventures?” put in Harry. 

“Not so fast, not so fast!” exclaimed his father. 
‘ ‘ One thing at a time, boys . We’re going to Darien, 
and, as it’s the least known part of the country and 
much of it unexplored and as several tribes of 
Indians live there, you will no doubt see plenty 
of Indians and wild animals. As to adventures, I 
guess you ’ll not have any very thrilling ones, — if 
I thought there was danger or risk I’d leave you 
both here, — and I haven’t found where the idol 
35 


36 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


came from. I have found, however, that Hender- 
son spent some time in Darien just before he left 
for the States, and there’s a good chance that he 
secured the god there. Now get what things 
you’ll need together and prepare for roughing it.” 

“Say, Fred, I’ll bet we do have adventures!” 
declared Harry as the two boys busied themselves 
packing up the old clothes, the ammunition and 
the various other articles they thought they 
might need. 

“I’ll bet we do too,” agreed Fred. “And if 
we don’t, we’ll see some mighty interesting things 
— Indians and animals and everything.” 

“And maybe we’ll find that radium place,” 
added Harry. “Cricky, wouldn’t it be fine if 
we found where the idol came from first thing ” 

So elated were the boys at the prospect of their 
trip that they could not keep the good news to 
themselves, and soon all their friends in the hotel 
knew that the boys and Dr. Woodward were leav- 
ing on the following day for Darien. 

“So you’re going to Darien, eh?'" remarked one 
gentleman as he drew his chair near the boys 
while they sat on the verandah after dinner. 
“You’ll find that wild enough to suit you, — 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 37 


naked Indians, and lost mines and all sorts of 
thrilling things.” 

“Be careful you don’t get into the forbidden 
country,” cautioned an officer as he joined the 
group. “Those Kunas are a bad lot.” 

“Forbidden country!” exclaimed Fred, puzzled, 
“What’s that and who are the Kunas?” 

“Haven’t you heard about that?” replied the 
Major. “The Kunas are the real, wild, eat-’em- 
alive redskins of Panama and the forbidden 
country is their district. San Bias, some people 
call them, but they’re a different lot altogether — 
never let any stranger into their territory, and 
either kill them or turn them loose after slicing 
off the soles of their feet.” 

“Oh, you’re just jollying us and trying to scare 
us!” cried Harry. “I don’t believe there’s any 
such place or any such people.” 

“ Honest injun,” declared the Major. “That is, 
everyone here says so. I’ve never been there 
so of course I can’t swear to it.” 

“And you might run across one of the lost 
mines,” chuckled Mr. Johnson who had first 
spoken. 

“Now you’ll have to explain that,” exclaimed 


38 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Fred, “What’s a lost mine, and how were they 
lost?” 

“Oh, I expect some of the old Dons were carry- 
ing them about and their pockets had holes in 
them and the mines dropped out,” laughed the 
other. “Joking aside, though, there are lost 
mines in Panama, — mines that were once rich, 
but were lost when the Indian slaves killed the 
Spaniards and hid the trails and destroyed the 
works. Did you ever hear about Tisingal?” 

“No,” replied Harry, “What is it?” 

“It was the richest gold mine in the world, if we 
are to believe the old stories,” explained Mr. 
Johnson. “According to them, the gold just 
stuck out of the ground in solid chunks. Any- 
way, the Dons were making millions out of it and 
had built a good sized town with a chapel at the 
mine and bronze bells for the church had been 
sent over from Spain. Then one day, the Indian 
slaves rose and killed the Spaniards and burnt 
the town and destroyed the road and the mine’s 
been lost ever since.” 

“Gosh, hasn’t anyone ever tried to find it?” 
asked Harry. 

“Rather,” Mr. Johnson replied. “And, ac- 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 41 


and now Captain Fenwick is going to tell about a 
lost city,” explained Harry. 

‘T think they’re just trying to frighten us,” 
declared Fred, “or get us excited. I’ll bet they’re 
all just yarns.” 

“If Mr. Johnson told you about Tisingal it’s 
true,” said Dr. Woodward, “and there is a place 
called the forbidden district and lots of stories 
about the Kunas, but personally I haven’t any 
faith in them. But what’s the story Captain 
Fenwick was about to tell.^” 

“Just about the lost city in Darien,” replied the 
Captain. “I was saying it isn’t really a lost city 
as it’s never been found. I don’t know much 
about it, but ever since the old Spanish days there 
have been stories about a big city inhabited by a 
strange race on top of an inaccessible mountain 
somewhere in Darien. The Indians all believe it, 
but they won’t tell where it is, if they know, and 
they’re mighty superstitious about it. I’ve often 
thought there might be such a place, — perhaps an 
outlying settlement of the Aztecs or Mayas or 
such. A lot of Darien is unexplored you know.” 

“More likely pure fable,” commented Dr. 
Woodward. “There are similar tales among many 


42 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


of the Indians, — Raleigh searched in Guiana for 
the golden city of Manoa and Coronado took his 
famed expedition into our southwest in search of 
the seven cities of Cibolo but no one ever found 
them. I’m afraid the stories of the Kunas and of 
the lost city are just myths, nothing more.” 

“I disagree with you there. Doctor,” declared 
a Colonel of engineers. “I don’t know the truth 
about the Kunas, or whatever you call them, but 
I’ll wager a month’s pay against a peso that an 
unknown city does exist in Darien.” 

“Phew! the Colonel’s got inside information!” 
exclaimed Mr. Johnson with a laugh. “I’m not 
going to take you up. Colonel, you only bet on a 
sure thing.” 

“Who tipped you off?” asked the Major, ban- 
teringly, “Got it located on your military map 
yet?” 

“What are your reasons for feeling convinced 
the city exists?” inquired Mr. Woodward. 

“You chaps quit your kidding and let me ex- 
plain to the Doctor,” growled the Colonel, and as 
the others ceased their banter he continued, 
“About two years ago one of our aviators came 
back from a flight and in his official report he 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 43 


stated that, when flying over Darien, he had passed 
above a large city on top of a mountain or high 
plateau. As far as he could see, there was no 
road or pass leading to it and it was in the heart 
of the jungle. Owing to bad air he could not de- 
scend within several thousand feet, but he re- 
ported that there were hundreds of houses in the 
place, that they didn’t look like Indians’ huts and 
that the people could be seen running about and 
greatly excited. Now, after that, do any of you 
chaps want to bet there isn’t a lost city?” 

“I don’t,” replied Mr. Johnson, — “too much 
trouble to settle the bet. Rather lose the peso 
than take a flight over Darien.” 

“Haven’t I heard high altitudes affected some 
men like liquor?” chuckled the Major. 

The Colonel snorted. “Just sore because I told 
the best yarn!” he exclaimed. “What’s your 
opinion. Doctor?” 

“I should hardly like to express an opinion,” 
replied Dr. Woodward. “I do not doubt the 
aviator’s word, but at such a height he might have 
mistaken a large Indian village for a real town. 
However, it is not beyond the range of possibility 
that there is a city of some unknown race in 


44 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Darien. No one can say, no one has the right to 
say, what may or may not exist in unexplored 
country. I’d give a great deal to see the place.” 

Gradually the conversation drifted onto other 
subjects and, presently, the little party broke up; 
but the boys’ minds were filled with the stories 
they had heard and for hours after they had gone 
to bed they lay awake, talking over the chances of 
adventures which might be in store for them. 
Harry and Fred had made many friends among the 
American boys of the Zone and had spent many 
pleasant hours in the two adjoining, thoroughly 
American towns of Ancon and Balboa. They 
had taken part in basketball games and bowling 
tournaments in the Zone Club houses, they had 
played baseball on the splendid Balboa field, and 
they had been diving and swimming in the big 
Balboa pool. So, the forenoon of the day of their 
departure was devoted to visiting the club houses 
and other haunts of their young friends to tell 
them of their trip and bid them good-bye. Every- 
one envied them, for the Canal Zone boys, al- 
though they live close to the untamed jungle and 
scarcely a hundred miles from the home of primi- 
tive Indians and unknown country, seldom go far 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 45 


from the civilization of the Zone and lead lives 
much like those of many boys in our own big 
cities, and their only thrilling adventures are 
those they see in moving pictures or read about. 
Soon after lunch. Dr. Woodward’s and the boys’ 
belongings were piled into an automobile and the 
three stowed themselves among their luggage. 

“Don’t let the Kunas get you!” shouted the 
jolly Major as he bade them farewell. 

“And bring me back a chunk of gold from a lost 
mine!” laughed Mr. Johnson. 

“And don’t you youngsters forget to take a 
snapshot of the lost city when you get there!” 
cried the Colonel. 

Dr. Woodward had engaged a bright, Pana- 
manian colored boy to act as man-of-all-work on 
the trip, and the boys had been much amused when 
Claudio, as he was called, had assured them in his 
picturesque English that he was “one muy bueno 
good cook” and could paddle, shoot, look after 
luggage and do anything else required, equally 
well. 

When the car drew up by the old Marina Hotel 
before the playa or landing place, Claudio was 
waiting and with an air of tremendous importance 


46 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


and responsibility hustled half a dozen native 
porters about and rapidly rushed the bags and 
boxes into a waiting Panga or skiff. The boys 
had expected to find a good-sized steamer to take 
them on their trip down the coast, but instead, 
the Panga bumped alongside of a patched and 
dirty fifty foot launch anchored half a mile from 
shore. The crew of three native black men were 
lolling about in greasy rags, the dirt-covered decks 
were crowded with barrels, boxes and other freight 
and the after rails and edges of the roof were 
festooned with strips of raw beef drying in the sun. 

“ Gosh! ” exclaimed Fred, as the party scrambled 
aboard, “This is a filthy old tub.” 

“I’ll bet we’re all seasick if it’s a bit rough,” 
declared Harry as he sniffed the combined odor 
of kerosene, rancid meat, garlic and rum. 

Claudio glanced about contemptuously and 
looked ruefully at a black smear on his stiffly 
starched khaki trousers. “Carramba!” he ex- 
claimed. “Dis Spigotty niggers no sabe dirt, 
no sir; him thrives on it, si!” 

“Pretty bad I admit,” agreed Dr. Woodward, 
“but it’s the only means of reaching Darien so 
we’ll have to put up with it. It’s only a ten or 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 47 


twelve hour run and I think we can stand that. 
Claudio, go up on the roof and see if there’s a 
chance to swing hammocks or spread blankets 
there. It’s impossible to sleep down here.” 

A moment later, the boy clambered down from 
his inspection aloft and reported there was plenty 
of room and at once busied himself transferring 
the luggage from the filthy deck to the wooden 
awning or roof. 

By this time the other passengers had begun to 
arrive; swarthy native men and women, sur- 
rounded by countless bundles and packages, burly 
negroes and several bland-faced Chinamen. From 
their clean and airy vantage point overhead the 
boys watched the new arrivals with interest. 
Several bore fighting cocks under their arms and 
these they carefully tethered to stanchions, rails 
or benches and instantly the birds commenced to 
crow and struggle, hurling defiance at one another 
until, with the incessant high-pitched chatter 
of the women, the excited shouts of the men as they 
argued with the boatmen, the wails of frightened 
children and the hot words of two negroes, in a 
dispute over the relative merits of their roosters, the 
launch became a perfect bedlam. 


48 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Whew, if they keep that up we’ll never sleep,” 
declared Fred. 

“They’ll quiet down presently,” Dr. Woodward 
assured him. “They’ll all be seasick as soon as 
we start, but it’s lucky we’re not down below.” 

“They’re packed in like sardines,” announced 
Harry who had been peering over the edge. 
“How many people can this old tub carry 

“No limit I guess,” replied his father. “Hello, 
we’re off!” 

As he spoke, two of the crew commenced haul- 
ing up the anchor, a dense cloud of evil smelling 
kerosene smoke poured up from the engine room 
and with a deafening racket and clanking that 
shook the ancient craft from stem to stern the 
motor started up and the boat’s bow swung 
towards the open sea. 

Scarcely had the launch begun to move when the 
din below ceased and by the time the harbor mouth 
was reached the human passengers on deck were 
far too sick to argue, quarrel or gossip. 

Stretched on their blankets or swinging in their 
hammocks the boys were quite comfortable on 
their airy perch, although the top-heavy craft 
rolled horribly to the almost invisible swell. 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 49 


As the sun sank behind the hills, the Pearl 
Islands loomed large and clear upon the horizon, 
and after a picnic dinner, for there was no chance 
to cook, the boys rolled themselves in their 
blankets, and gazing up at the myriad brilliant 
stars, soon fell asleep. 

They were roused at dawn by the incessant 
crowing of the fighting cocks on deck, and rub- 
bing their eyes, looked about to find the launch 
chugging noisily up a broad bay with wooded 
shores backed by distant blue mountains. 

It was the Gulf of San Miguel, Dr. Woodward 
told them, and a few hours later, the launch came 
to anchor off a desolate-looking beach lined with a 
double row of thatched huts. Here several of the 
passengers disembarked and the boys, anxious 
for a glimpse of an outlying native village, were 
rowed ashore by a ragged colored man who came 
alongside. But ten minutes in the village of 
Garachine were enough for them. The place was 
built on a mud flat and pigs, children, fowls and 
mangy dogs rolled and wallowed in the filth and 
muck under the hovels. 

“That’s Emma’s and Ben’s idea of Panama,” 
remarked Dr. Woodward as they left the filthy 


4 


50 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


spot and returned to the launch. “It’s lucky for 
these people that the tide covers the mud under 
their houses every day or they’d all die.” 

Presently the launch was again under way and 
the boys busied themselves watching the ever- 
changing panorama of jungle-covered shores, 
wooded islets and lofty hills as they ran swiftly up 
the gulf with the tide. A second stop was made 
at La Palma, which the boys thought one of the 
prettiest spots they had ever seen with its houses 
on stilts above the water and backed by a high green 
hill and shaded by nodding palms. But they found 
it scarcely better than Garachine, although far 
cleaner, and they thoroughly enjoyed the stiff climb 
up the hill with the splendid view from the summit, 
and grew quite excited when they discovered that 
the hill itself was composed of agate and chalcedony. 

With pockets loaded with pretty specimens 
they boarded the launch and as the noisy engine 
again clattered and banged they asked Claudio if 
all interior villages were as dirty and uninterest- 
ing as those they had seen. 

“No, sirs,” he assured them. “They plenty 
mucho nice, clean, fine village. In Veraguas, in 
Chiriqui, you catch ’em. Dis Darien nigger fel- 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 51 


low he no good. Carramba! Wait till you see 
him El Real, he what you call, how you say it 
English — remate de malos, si.” 

The boys laughed. “ So El Real’s the culmination 
of all evil! ” exclaimed Fred. “Well, Uncle Frank 
says that’s our last stop and I’m glad ’tis. If it’s any 
worse than these places it must be some village.” 

Although the crew and their fellow passengers 
had shown no interest or curiosity in the boys or 
Dr. Woodward, yet no sooner had the three gone 
ashore than they plied Claudio with questions, for 
it was a most unusual thing for white people, es- 
pecially Americans, to travel into the Darien dis- 
trict, and the only explanation they could think 
of was gold. Claudio knew nothing of the real 
purpose of the trip, but anxious to impress his 
audience, he spun a marvelous yarn of going into 
the Indian country after a fabulously rich lost 
mine which he said Dr. Woodward had located 
through an ancient map. 

As a result, the boys and Dr. Woodward were 
regaled with hair-raising tales of savage Indians 
and the deadly peril which beset anyone venturing 
into their country. Although the boys had done 
remarkably well with their Spanish, yet the jargon 


52 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the natives spoke was all but unintelligible to 
them and Dr. Woodward and Claudio were con- 
stantly called upon to interpret for them. 

For hour after hour as the launch pushed slowly 
up the Tuira River, the natives vied with one an- 
other in telling stories of the Indians. One man 
told of a party of nearly one hundred natives who 
had gone into the forbidden district after rubber 
and how only fifteen returned, the others all 
having been killed with poisoned arrows without 
even seeing an Indian. Another stated that a few 
months previously two natives had gone up river 
and a few days later their four thumbs had been left 
mysteriously on their doorsteps and the men had 
never been seen again, and one and all vowed 
most seriously that to enter the Kuna country 
meant certain death. 

The boys found the stories interesting, but gave 
little heed to them, thinking the men were merely 
trying to frighten them; but after they had climbed 
to their places on the roof and were curled in their 
blankets with the inky blackness on all sides and 
only the rattle and snort of the motor and the 
cries of jungle birds breaking the silence, the 
stories came back to them vividly. 


THE BOYS HEAR SOME TALES 53 


‘‘Say, Dad,” asked Harry, “Do you really be- 
lieve all those yarns about the Indians?” 

“Of course not,” laughed his father. “I don’t 
believe any of them. Once upon a time, very 
likely, the Indians did kill gold seekers and rubber 
gatherers that entered their country, and these 
people are just repeating the old tales, — but we’re 
hardly one hundred and fifty miles from the Canal 
and living in the twentieth century. It’s pre- 
posterous to put any credence in such stories.” 

“But the Major told the same story,” objected 
Fred, “and the Colonel told about the lost city.” 

“Of course he did,” replied Dr. Woodward. 
“He heard the story from some native and the 
Colonel’s ‘city’ is probably just a big Indian 
camp. Now go to sleep and don’t worry about 
such foolishness.” 

“Oh, we’re not worrying over that,” said Fred, 
as he turned over with a yawn. “We’re just hoping 
the stories are true.” 


CHAPTER IV 

STRANDED 

Daylight found the launch forcing its slow way 
up river against the strong current and winding 
and twisting around its many bends, sometimes 
running so close to the bank that the drooping 
branches and vines swept along the rails, at other 
times keeping to the middle of the stream. The 
boys were surprised to see such a swiftly flowing 
torrent, until Dr. Woodward explained that it 
was due to the immense, twenty foot tide of the 
Pacific which backed up the waters of the rivers 
for a hundred miles or more from the sea. 

They were still talking of this when there was a 
grinding jar, the launch heeled far to one side 
and came to an abrupt stop. Taken unawares, 
those upon the roof were thrown from their feet 
and clawed wildly to grasp any object to keep 
themselves from plunging into the water. Dr. 

54 


STRANDED 


55 


Woodward seized a wire stay to the single mast, 
Harry caught hold of the hammock, Fred managed 
to bring up with his legs dangling over the edge of 
the awning, but Claudio, who was stooping over 
when the launch struck, shot clear of everything 
and with a wild, frightened cry dove head first 
into the stream. It was all over in an instant and 
before the boys fully realized what had occurred, 
there was a torrent of English and Spanish oaths 
broken by coughing and spluttering from below. 
The boys peered over the side to see Claudio, 
standing up to his armpits in the turbid water, and 
loudly voicing his opinion of the captain in far from 
complimentary terms. With his kinky head 
pasted over with red mud, his black face streaked 
with the same sticky ooze and his wildly rolling 
eyes he was such a ludicrous sight that the boys 
roared with laughter. 

But it was no laughing matter to Claudio and 
dragging his dripping body from the river he 
clambered aboard the launch still berating the 
skipper for running aground. 

The colored captain, however, gave not the least 
heed to his words, but lighting a cigarette, seated 
himself upon the forward deck and gazed hope- 


56 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


lessly at the water, apparently resigning himself 
and his boat to fate. 

“Isn’t he going to try to get off.^” asked Harry 
when at last the motor ceased to bang and rattle. 

“It doesn’t look that way,” replied his father. 
“If he doesn’t take care we’ll be left stranded here 
till the next tide. I’ll have a word with him.” 

But to Dr. Woodward’s questions the captain 
merely shrugged his shoulders and replied that it 
was by the will of God they had run aground and 
they’d have to wait until the will of God got them 
off. 

“It’s a pity the will of God didn’t keep you from 
ever having charge of a boat,” cried Dr. Woodward 
losing patience. “How long will we have to wait 
here for the tide to float us? ” 

Again the captain shrugged. “Until the next 
equally high tide, Senor,” he replied. “Perhaps 
it may be tonight, perhaps not for a week, who 
knows?” 

Thoroughly disgusted. Dr. Woodward turned 
away. “This is a pretty kettle of fish!” he 
exclaimed as he rejoined the boys. “Here we are 
hard and fast aground in midstream and miles 
from anywhere. As the last tide was unusually 


STRANDED 


57 


high we may stick here a week. Confound these 
native captains! The stupid fool could have got 
off if he’d reversed his engines first thing.” 

“That what I spik to him,” declared Claudio. 
“Me, I myself, spik he crazy peeg for get stuck an’ 
more bigger crazy for not make for get off. 
Carramba ! Me, I myself, much plenty like to 
t’row he in river. He muss up my clothes too 
much.” 

“Well, we’re having our first adventure,” said 
Harry. “Perhaps when the tide goes out we can 
go ashore and have a hunt.” 

“And now we can say we’ve been shipwrecked,” 
laughed Fred. 

“And if I’m not mistaken it will be on a desert 
island, too,” added Dr. Woodward who had been 
studying the rapidly falling water. “It looks 
to me as if we were on a bar in midstream with 
deep water between us and the shore on both 
sides.” 

“Well, we won’t starve to death,” remarked 
Fred. “There’s enough food here to last us a 
month.” 

“No, but how about water replied his father. 

“Why, there’s the whole river to drink.” 


58 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


‘Ts there?” said Dr. Woodward drily. “Just try 
it and see. This is brackish water here, you’ll 
find.” 

“ Whew ! ” ejaculated Fred. “ Then ’tis an adven- 
ture, really.” 

“A mighty unpleasant one,” declared his uncle. 
“You’ll find lying here and baking in the sun 
with no water is far from fun.” 

“Couldn’t some one wade or swim ashore and 
get water?” suggested Harry. 

“No, sir!” exclaimed Claudio. “No man make 
to swim this river. Him get too plenty much 
caiman, what you call croc’dile.” 

“Crocodiles!” exclaimed Fred, “Jiminy! Say, 
Claudio, are they big ones?” 

“Plenty much big,” replied the other. “Mucho 
grande, grandissimo big, mebbe twenty — twenty- 
five foot big, si.” 

“Cricky, they must be whoppers!” cried Harry. 
“I’d like to see some.” 

By now the tide had fallen until the bar was 
partly bare and the launch had heeled over until 
she rested on her side on the sand, and as Harry 
spoke, Fred noticed what he took for an immense 
log lodged on the bar a few hundred feet away. 



The launch was stranded high and dry. 


4 




STRANDED 


59 


“WeTe not the only thing stranded here,” he 
remarked. “ Look at that big log there.” 

“ Carramba! ” exclaimed Claudio as he turned at 
Fred’s words. “Him not log, him caiman.” 

“By jove!” cried Dr. Woodward. “’Tis a croco- 
dile, and a monster.” 

“I’m going to get my rifle and try to shoot him,” 
declared Harry and he and Fred hurriedly got out 
their rifles and a supply of cartridges. 

Both fired together, but their bullets splashed 
harmlessly into the river a few inches beyond the 
giant crocodile’s neck and at the report of the guns 
the huge reptile slipped into the water and 
disappeared. 

“A bit too high,” Dr. Woodward remarked. 
“They’re deceptive things to shoot at. Aim 
lower next time.” 

“But there may not be any next time,” said 
Harry dejectedly. “Gee, I would have liked to 
have got him.” 

But the boys need not have worried. As the 
tide flowed rapidly out and more and more of the 
sand bar was exposed crocodiles by dozens drew 
themselves onto the sand to bask in the warm sun 
and the two boys kept up a fusillade of shots. 


60 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Several times they hit the great, repulsive 
creatures, but each time the wounded crocodile 
managed to slip into the water and disappear. 

“You’ll have to hit the brain to kill them in- 
stantly,” Dr. Woodward told them. “Ah! that’s 
a good shot, Fred.” 

As he had spoken, Fred had fired and at the 
report of his rifle a big crocodile threw his head in 
air, lashed out once with his tail and then lay still. 

“Hurrah, I got him!” cried Fred. “Run up 
there, Claudio, and see if he’s dead.” 

But Claudio had other ideas and stoutly refused 
to approach the beast. 

Then, when a moment later, Harry made a 
square hit, the two boys and Dr. Woodward 
climbed to the sand bar and with Claudio, quite 
brave in their company, made their way towards 
the motionless saurians. 

Both were stone dead and while neither was as 
large as many the boys had seen they were both 
over twelve feet in length and the boys were 
immensely delighted at their prowess. 

“Better not waste any more ammunition on 
crocodiles,” Dr. Woodward advised them. “You 
may need it for more important things and 


STRANDED 


61 


Claudio’s got an all day job before him to skin the 
two you’ve killed.” 

And although it was a great temptation, the 
boys wisely followed his advice and refrained from 
shooting at the crocodiles that were constantly 
in sight. 

The time dragged slowly; the sun became 
unbearably hot, and rather than bake on the 
awning top or swelter on the dirty deck the three 
spread rubber ponchos on the cool, damp sand in 
the shadow of the hull. But they were soon forced 
to desert this spot as the incoming tide rose higher 
and gradually flooded the bar. Claudio too, was 
compelled to leave one of the crocodiles, but the 
boys’ regret at this was offset by the thought that 
the launch would soon be afloat and everyone 
climbed aboard and expectantly watched the 
rising water. Slowly it spread over the sand, 
gradually the launch rose on an even keel and at 
last, with a roar and rattle, the wheezy motor 
started up. But although the propeller churned 
the turbid water into yellow foam the launch 
remained as immovable as if anchored. Then, 
seizing poles, the crew pushed and strained, trying 
to aid the screw, but all to no avail and the dis- 


62 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


appointed passengers watched the tide turn and 
the current flow again towards the sea with the 
helpless boat still stranded in the same spot. 

“This is getting mighty serious,” declared Dr. 
Woodward as with long faces those on the launch 
again saw the wet sand appearing above the river’s 
surface. “We must try some other means of 
getting off at high water tonight.” 

The captain, however, refused to bestir himself 
or make any effort at Dr. Woodward’s suggestion 
and so, enlisting the aid of the two remaining 
native passengers and the crew, he and the boys 
and Claudio got out the anchor and all the avail- 
able cable and as soon as the sand was bare the 
anchor was carried to the edge of the bar and 
buried in the sand. . Then the cable was hauled 
taut by the anchor winch, and as the tide would 
not be full until midnight, the passengers rolled 
themselves in their blankets and tried to get a few 
hours rest. But the boys found it impossible to 
sleep. From the woods on the banks came an 
incessant chorus of frogs; shrill pipings, deep bass 
croaks, throaty choking gurgles and a rattling roar 
that, as Fred said, sounded exactly like a racing 
motorcycle with exhaust open. Back and forth 


STRANDED 


63 


over the boys’ heads flitted great nightjars uttering 
weird, plaintive calls; huge bats swept past so close 
to the boys’ faces that they felt the swish of the 
wings; owls hooted and cried from the forest; 
splashes and low, barking grunts told of unseen 
crocodiles close at hand and when a terrific rever- 
berating roar from the jungle fairly shook the air, 
the two boys started up in terror and prodded Dr. 
Woodward into wakefulness. 

“What — what’s that?” queried Harry in a 
frightened tone. “It sounded like a lion or a tiger 
right near us.” 

As he spoke, the hair-raising, bellowing roar 
again rent the night and Dr. Woodward burst out 
laughing. “ You are a brave pair of adventurers ! ” 
he exclaimed. “Why that’s only howling mon- 
keys and they’re at least a mile away.” 

“A mile away!” exclaimed Fred, incredulously. 
“Gee, I’d hate to hear them close to, then.” 

But despite being thus reassured and somewhat 
ashamed of their nervousness, the boys were now 
too wide awake to think of sleep and as the 
tide was rapidly rising all remained up, anx- 
iously waiting for the time when they could make 
their attempt to float the launch. 


64 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


The boys thought they had never known the 
hours to pass so slowly and their teeth chattered 
and they shook with the chill night air, although 
bundled in their blankets. 

“Do — don’t tell me the tropics are hot!” said 
Fred in a shaky voice. “I’ve never been so cold in 
my life.” 

“Exercise is the only thing,” replied his uncle 
jumping up, and following his example, the two 
boys paced back and forth, thrashing their arms 
about, jumping and dancing until thoroughly 
warmed up. 

Then, as the incoming tide raised the launch to 
a level keel once more, the three climbed down 
to the deck, the engineer was routed out and 
sent yawning to the motor and as the propeller 
churned the water and the engine roared and raced 
the others heaved on the winch and tugged and 
strained at the anchor line. For a space, there 
was no result and then the line came slowly in and 
a shout of triumph went up; but the next moment 
the cable again became taut, and despite every 
effort of the toiling men and boys not another inch 
could be gained. 

Not until the tide once more turned did they 


STRANDED 


65 


cease their efforts, however, and then, discouraged 
and tired out, they gave up in despair. 

“We must get off by next tide,” declared Dr. 
Woodward. “There’s very little water left 
aboard.” 

“Perhaps another boat or a canoe will come 
along,” suggested Harry hopefully. 

“It might be days before they did,” replied his 
father. “We’re on an unfrequented part of the 
river with no settlements near. No, we’ll have 
to try something else, perhaps throw out some of 
the cargo.” 

But by the time the tide had again left the bar 
exposed, Dr. Woodward had evolved a new scheme. 
Securing a hatchet from the engineer, he attacked 
the wooden cases in which the supply of kerosene 
tins was packed, and taking the thin boards 
thus obtained he fastened them together and 
strengthened them by cleats, finally producing 
eight rectangular sections, each about two feet 
long by eighteen inches wide. 

Throughout all this, and even while they had 
been striving to haul the launch free by the an- 
chor, the captain had made no move nor com- 
ment but had merely looked on listlessly, quite 


5 


66 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 

content to leave everything to the others and to 
fate. 

“Too bad we have no handles for these things,” 
remarked Dr. Woodward as he worked, “My idea 
is to use them as shovels. If we work hard we can 
dig away the sand between the launch and the edge 
of the bar and then, when the tide comes in, we 
may be able to slide her into the deeper water.” 

“That’s a good scheme,” agreed Harry, “but I 
wish we had snow shovels.” 

At first, the crew were loth to take part in the 
work, but realizing the hopelessness of remaining 
stranded, they finally fell to and the eight im- 
provised shovels made rapid progress in the soft 
sand. It was hard, hot, back-breaking work, but 
all kept ceaselessly at it and by the time the next 
incoming tide compelled them to retreat to the 
launch a wide trench two feet deep had been 
excavated from the stranded boat to the steep 
edge of the bar. 

“Hurrah, the tide’s helping too!” exclaimed 
Fred, as the boys watched the rapidly rising 
water flow into the trench and wash the loosened 
sand away. 

“Yes, I counted on that,” replied Dr. Wood- 


STRANDED 


67 


ward. “If we can manage to swing the launch 
three feet I believe she’ll slip into the trench 
and float.” 

The natives, who at first had looked with ill- 
concealed contempt on Dr. Woodward’s efforts, 
were now as interested and hopeful as the boys 
and all gathered at the rails watching the rising 
water and anxiously awaiting the moment to make 
the final attempt to pull the boat off. Even the 
captain recovered from his lethargy and joined the 
others and when at last the engine was started 
and the anchor cable was heaved in he lent a hand 
at the work. For a time, the heavy boat refused 
to budge, then the bow swung slowly, the cable 
came in, there was a sudden lurch, the launch 
rolled far to one side and the next instant was 
afloat. Cheer upon cheer went up as the cable 
was gathered in and none yelled more lustily than 
the inefficient skipper. 

“Ah, Senor!” he exclaimed to Dr. Woodward. 
“Did I not say we would be free by the will of 
God?” 

“Will of fiddlesticks!” ejaculated the other. 
“God helps those who help themselves, and you’ll 
never get much help on that score.” 


68 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Ah, but was it not the will of God that the 
Americanos were given the brains that they may 
accomplish wonders and help others?” cried the 
captain as he hurried to the wheel. And to this 
Dr. Woodward could find no adequate reply. 


CHAPTER V 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 

When, without further adventure, the boys 
stepped ashore at El Real they decided that 
Claudio had been well within bounds when he 
had declared it the “culmination of all evil.” 
Although not as filthy as Garachine, yet it was 
scarcely more than a cluster of tumble-down 
thatched huts with two or three Chinese shops, 
whose chief stock consisted of liquor, and through 
the muddy, dirty spaces which served as streets 
between the houses, cows, pigs and live stock 
wandered about and passed freely in and out of 
the hovels as well. The natives were the raggedest 
and laziest the boys had seen and even seemed 
to find the pleasant occupation of doing nothing, 
tiresome. A few were listlessly gambling on the 
steps of a rum shop, but all appeared to wake up 
and take a new interest in life wheii pne of the pas- 


70 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


sengers came ashore with a game cock under each 
arm and, in a moment, bets were being made and 
other fighting birds were produced as if by magic. 

“Now hustle and see if you can hire a couple of 
men and a canoe, Claudio, ” said Dr. Woodward as 
the luggage was deposited in the empty school- 
house which the barefooted Alcalde, or mayor, had 
willingly granted them permission to use. 

Meanwhile, the boys strolled about the village, 
finding little to interest them aside from the lovely 
view across the broad plain to distant Mount Pirri, 
and the enormous, hanging nests of big brown and 
yellow birds which hung in scores from the tips 
of the branches of a huge tree, like some strange, 
pear-shaped fruits. One of the natives, in reply 
to the boys’ questions, told them the birds were 
“Oro pendulas” and were never molested and the 
boys watched the odd creatures for some time, 
highly amused at the strange guttural sounds they 
made and which sounded so much like human 
voices that Harry said he believed the birds were 
talking Darien Spanish. When they returned to 
the schoolhouse they found Dr. Woodward and 
Claudio bargaining with two fierce-looking natives, 
one a gigantic, raw-boned negro, the other a 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


71 


smaller, yellow-skinned fellow, either one of whom, 
as Fred remarked, might well have been a member 
of Morgan’s piratical crew. 

“Very well then,” Dr. Woodward was saying as 
the boys appeared. “That’s a bargain. Now 
here’s your advance for food and supplies. Get 
enough to last two weeks and hurry up. How 
soon can you be ready?” 

“At once, immediately, in one little hour,” 
declared the natives. “We have but to buy the 
things and say farewell to our families. When one 
goes into the interior who knows when one may 
return, if God wills one does return. We are gone 
Senor!” 

So saying, and pocketing the advance money 
Dr. Woodward had paid them, the two hurried off. 

“Everything’s arranged, boys,” Dr. Wood- 
ward informed them. “ Claudio was lucky enough 
to find those two and a good cayuca. We’ll be on 
our way up river before night.” 

Claudio, who was near, grinned knowingly. 
“Me, I myself, not t’ink like so,” he remarked. 
“Maybe tomorrow he make for ready. Dis 
Spigotty nigger mens he mucho big liar.” 

Considering that Claudio was himself a “Spig- 


72 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


otty ” as he called the natives and was black as the 
proverbial ace of spades, his contemptuous refer- 
ences to “ Spigot ty niggers” always amused the 
boys immensely. 

“But they said they’d be ready in an hour,” 
objected Harry. 

“I suppose we shouldn’t take that literally,” 
replied Dr. Woodward. “I imagine Claudio’s 
near the mark. I keep forgetting we’re in the 
land of manana or tomorrow.” 

However, when a little over an hour later, one of 
the boatmen approached, the impatient Americans 
thought that for once the natives were on time. 
But in this they were mistaken, for the man merely 
came to inform them with profuse apologies that it 
was useless to start with the tide falling and that 
they had decided to postpone their departure until 
the flood tide the following morning. 

“Very well,” agreed Dr. Woodward, realizing 
the hopelessness of trying to hurry the men and 
also knowing there was some truth in his state- 
ment. “But if you’re not ready tomorrow morning 
I’ll hire someone else and have the Alcalde arrest 
you for taking advance money and not keeping 
your bargain.” 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


73 


“Si Senor!” replied the fellow grinning as if he 
thought it a joke. “We will not fail. May I rot 
in the sun if we do.” 

“That’s what they all seem to be doing here, 
anyway,” laughed Fred as the man walked off. 

“Gee, Whittaker! What’s the matter with my 
legs?” cried Harry who had been rubbing his 
shins and now pulled up his trousers to find his 
skin covered with little red marks like an eruption. 
“They itch like blazes.” 

“Bed bugs!” replied his father with a laugh. 
“ One of the delights of the tropics. Uncomfortable 
but not dangerous, they’re tiny mites that burrow 
under the skin and produce the irritation, but a 
good rubbing with strong carbolic soap or weak 
formaldehyde will end them.” 

Fred also found he had collected a number of 
the pests as he had walked about in the grass and 
both boys retired to the interior of the schoolhouse 
for a liberal use of the suggested remedies. 

By the time this was done, Claudio announced 
that dinner was ready and before the meal was over 
the sun had set and darkness had descended with 
tropical swiftness. 

Despite the croaking of frogs and the innumer- 


74 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


able cries of wild things from the nearby bush, 
the boys slept soundly and did not awaken until 
roused by Claudio as he busied himself getting 
breakfast. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, the boatmen 
arrived before the party had finished eating and 
announced they were ready to start. 

“Hurrah, we’re really off for the wilds at last!” 
cried Harry, as the big cayuca sped up the Tuira 
River and El Real slipped out of sight behind a 
bend. 

“Yes, on the trail of the radium god!” added 
Fred. 

For several hours, the men plied their paddles, 
forcing the cayuca swiftly with the current and the 
boys found much to interest them on the banks. 
Bird life was everywhere; white herons, boat bills 
and white and brown ibis flapped from feeding 
places on sand bars and reedy shores; great green 
and blue kingfishers flew with startled, rattling 
cries at the boat’s approach; dainty, brown and 
yellow jacanas ran nimbly on long-toed feet across 
the water plants in sheltered coves and innumer- 
able brilliant hued tanagers, finches and warblers, 
flitted among the bushes and trees along the 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


75 


banks. Close to shore, the river was fringed with 
giant reeds rising in feathery, plumed heads for 
twenty feet or more above the water and above the 
summit of the steeply-cut banks towered the heavy 
forest, unbroken, mysterious and dark. 

“Whew, I never saw such trees!” exclaimed 
Fred. “I thought those at Gatun Lake were big, 
but they were dwarfs alongside of these.” 

“Cricky, look at that one!” cried Harry. “I’ll 
bet it’s over a hundred feet high.” 

“Considerably more,” declared his father. “I 
should say nearer two hundred.” 

But before he had ceased speaking, the boys’ at- 
tentions were attracted by harsh, screeching cries 
and two great scarlet macaws took wing from 
among the branches of the tree. 

For hour after hour they sped on, the canoe 
keeping pace with the inflowing current and the 
boys flnding something new and strange to occupy 
eyes and minds at every turn. Sometimes it was a 
huge river turtle sunning itself on a snag or stump; 
again it would be a big crocodile basking on the 
bank; several times they caught sight of otters 
swimming across the stream and once a little herd 
of odd creatures like gigantic Guinea pigs, and 


76 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


which the boatmen said were “Broncos,” but 
which the boys recognized as Capybaras, dashed 
squealing with fright into the dense reeds. 

Then the boys noticed that the current was 
flowing against them. Dropping paddles the 
two boatmen seized long poles, and standing 
upright on the broad, flat ends of the cayuca, began 
forcing the craft upstream close to shore. In this 
way they proceeded very rapidly and by noon they 
were many miles from El Real. Running the 
canoe upon a pebbly beach the men gathered dry 
driftwood and kindled a fire and Claudio com- 
menced preparations for cooking the midday meal. 
Taking their guns, the boys strolled off up the 
beach in the hopes of finding game, and promising 
not to go beyond earshot of the canoe. They had 
gone but a few yards when Pedro, the yellow- 
skinned boatman, joined them, tagging at their 
heels like a dog and explaining in his uncouth 
Spanish that he would guide them to a spot where 
they might shoot a deer. 

Accepting his offer, and telling him to go ahead, 
the boys followed as he turned into the brush and 
led the way along a scarcely visible, narrow 
trail. The way led over a low rise and then 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


77 


descended and presently Pedro held up his hand 
with a signal for caution and very carefully and 
expectantly the two boys crept forward. As they 
reached Pedro’s side, they were close to the edge 
of a lake-like expanse of water and Pedro pointed 
excitedly to a little brush covered point. But 
despite every effort the boys could see nothing 
that resembled a deer. Then, as Fred leaned 
forward, striving to peer past an intervening limb, 
his foot slipped and he barely saved himself from 
plunging down the bank by seizing a low bush. 
Instantly, at the sound, a deer sprang up from the 
edge of the point and with graceful bounds dis- 
appeared in the brush before the surprised boys 
could think to shoot. The boys took it as a joke, 
but Pedro was very much disgusted and crestfallen. 

Suggesting that they might see another deer 
beyond the point, he led the way along the smooth, 
sandy beach towards the upper end of the broad 
backwater of the river. But there was no sign of 
deer or other game and the three started to retrace 
their steps when Pedro suddenly stopped, pointed 
to the beach and exclaimed: “Danta!” 

Deeply imprinted in the sand where he was 
pointing, the boys saw the footprints of some large 


78 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


animal, and instantly they remembered those 
they had seen on their hunting trip near the lake. 
“Gosh, it’s a tapir!” exclaimed Harry. “I 
wonder if we can find him.” 

But the trail led directly to the edge of the water 
and Pedro explained that the danta had swum 
across to the opposite side. The next instant, 
with a warning hiss, he dragged the boys behind a 
clump of grass. Before the surprised boys could 
ask a question, he threw himself flat on the ground, 
signalling for them to do the same, and pointing 
to the farther side of the pond whispered: “Look, 
the Danta! He is coming back!” Then, as the 
boys stared at the opposite shores, they saw the 
tall reeds sway and move and their nerves tingled 
as a great, black head was thrust from the cover 
and the trunk-like nose wrinkled and sniffed 
suspiciously. Harry was about to raise his rifle 
to shoot, but Pedro stopped him. “Wait!” he 
cautioned. “He will come across. Don’t shoot 
until he reaches this shore. If he is killed in the 
water he will sink.” 

For a moment, the tapir cautiously gazed about 
as if suspecting some enemy were near and then, 
seeing nothing, he pushed boldly through the 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


79 


reeds to the water’s edge, while the boys, their 
breaths coming quick and fast, gazed fascinated 
at the bulky creature, — the largest wild animal 
they had ever seen. To them, he appeared as big 
as an elephant, as, lowering his neck with its 
upstanding stiff mane, he drank deeply of the 
water and then, with a satisfied grunt, plunged 
in and commenced swimming towards them. 
Thrilled and excited, the boys kept their eyes 
riveted on the big, black head rapidly approaching 
them, their guns ready, and waiting with fast 
beating hearts, for the moment to shoot. Nearer 
and nearer the tapir came; the upturned snout was 
in plain view and the boys could see the little, 
wicked-looking elephantine eyes and the small ears 
laid back against the head. A minute more and he 
would have reached shallow water when, so 
suddenly the boys jumped, the creature gave a 
frightened snort, the huge head was flung up and 
with a tremendous effort the tapir leaped half out 
of water. At the same instant, there was a swirl 
of water before him, a long, dark head broke from 
the surface and with a sickening crunch that 
reached the boys’ ears the jaws of an enormous 
crocodile snapped like a steel trap upon the tapir’s 


80 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


foreleg. Snorting in pain and terror, the doomed 
tapir thrashed and struggled, hurling its bulky 
body from the water, striking wildly at the repul- 
sive reptile with his free foot, baring his big, tusk- 
like teeth. Lashing the water into foam crim- 
soned with his blood, the powerful beast strove to 
gain shallow water, while grimly, unheeding the 
rain of blows upon its head, the giant crocodile 
retained its grip. It was a thrilling, cruel struggle, 
a battle such as few men have seen, and fascinated, 
breathless, the boys and Pedro watched the tragic 
fight, all their sympathies with the tapir which, a 
few moments before, they had longed to kill. 
Bravely the creature fought as with blood pouring 
from his torn leg he jerked and strained, until, 
with a last desperate effort, his hind legs reached 
bottom and rearing himself up he drew the croco- 
dile’s ugly head above the water. For the fraction 
of a second they remained motionless, each pitting 
every ounce of his tremendous strength against the 
other, and Fred, scarcely realizing what he was 
doing, raised his rifle, took quick aim and fired. 
With a splash that threw spray far and wide, the 
crocodile’s tail lashed the water; the great jaws 
relaxed, the huge, scaly head dropped back and the 


A BATTLE TO THE DEATH 


81 


exhausted tapir sank to its side and lay panting 
and grunting in the water. Then, slowly rising, 
the wounded beast turned his big head towards 
the boys’ hiding place, lifted his short trunk and 
sniffed the pungent smell of powder, and turning 
quickly, plunged through the shoal water and 
dashed limping into the thick brush as the boys’ 
vociferous cheers sped him on his way. 

“Say, that was a bully shot!” cried Harry. 
“Do you know I was so excited I forgot all about 
shooting.” 

“So did I,” admitted Fred. “Until I saw that 
ugly brute’s head out of water. Gosh, I’m glad we 
didn’t kill the tapir. He was a game fellow!” 

Pedro was staring uncomprehendingly at the 
two boys utterly unable to understand why they 
had failed to shoot the tapir they had waited for. 
Then, slowly, a smile spread over his features and 
an expression of intelligence came into his fierce 
eyes. “Carramba!” he exclaimed. “I think I 
know. It was because he was so very bravo; was 
it not, Senores.^” 

“You’re on!” replied Harry, quite forgetting 
Pedro understood no English, and then, he added : 
“Yes, that’s the idea, Pedro, and what’s more I’ll 


6 


82 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


never shoot a tapir; unless weVe got to have his 
meat.” 

“Me too,” cried Fred with ungrammatical 
enthusiasm. “Any beast’s that’s as sporty as a 
tapir deserves to live.” 


CHAPTER VI 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 

“Well, where on earth have you boys been?” 
cried Dr. Woodward when, a few minutes later, 
the three appeared. “We’ve been yelling our 
heads off and lunch is cold, waiting for you.” 

“You’ll have to ask Pedro where we were,” 
replied Harry. “But I’d have missed lunch for 
a week to see what we’ve been watching.” 

“You bet!” agreed Fred. “A fight between a 
tapir and a crocodile.” 

And as the boys ate they vividly described the 
struggle while the tale lost nothing in its telling as 
Pedro related it to Jose. 

“You’re a true sportsman, Fred!” exclaimed 
Dr. Woodward when the boys ended. “’Twould 
have been little short of murder to have killed 
that tapir. Jove, I’m sorry I didn’t see that fight 
myself! You’ll probably never see anything 
to equal it again.” 


83 


84 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Late in the afternoon, camp was made on a high 
bank at the edge of the forest and while the men 
were putting up the shelter, consisting of a large 
square of canvas stretched like a roof over a pole 
between two trees, the two boys went into the 
jungle with their guns. Luck was with them and 
within half an hour they returned with two of the 
big, black “wild turkeys” such as they had shot 
near Gatun Lake. 

It was their first night spent in the jungle and as 
darkness fell and they sat in their hammocks, they 
plied Claudio and the boatmen with questions 
as to the sources of the innumerable, weird noises 
that echoed through the forest. Frogs, as usual, 
led the chorus and as they listened to the boom, 
rattle, whistle, grunt, croak and roar of these 
creatures Fred declared that Darien must be the 
original home of all the frogs in the world. But in 
addition to these, and the querulous cries of unseen 
night birds, there were countless other sounds. A 
shrill quavering wail that sent shivers down the 
boys’ backs was, they were told, the call of a tiny 
owl; a loud, ringing, harsh cry that sounded like 
“How can I do it.^” repeated over and over again 
was the evening notes of a small, quail-like bird; 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


85 


and a sudden, startling roar that fairly made the 
boys jump was made, so the men declared, by a 
little marmoset which they called “Leonito” or 
the little lion. 

“Seems to me everything with a big voice is 
little down here,” said Harry. “Don’t any of 
the big things make a noise?” 

Hardly had he spoken, when, from the direc- 
tion of the river, came a blood curdling howl 
that rose and fell, causing the boys to edge closer 
to the men and to glance anxiously towards the 
guns. 

“Gee, I’ll bet that was a jaguar or something!” 
exclaimed Fred, as the startling noise ceased. 

Claudio grinned: “He what you call him, 
tiger-bird,” he said. 

“Well, if that’s a tiger-bird I’d hate to hear a 
real tiger,” exclaimed Fred. 

“You’ll have to get used to the noises,” said 
Dr. Woodward. “The jungle’s always full of 
sounds you can’t explain, as well as those you can. 
But there’s no danger. No wild animal down 
here will attack a man and they seldom venture 
near camp.” 

“Aren’t there vampire bats?” asked Harry. 


86 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“I read in a book about how they suck people’s 
blood while they sleep.” 

“There are plenty of them,” replied his father. 
“Those little bats that flitted from the tree trunks 
as we poled up river today were vampires. But 
they won’t trouble us if we keep a light burning, so 
don’t worry.” 

Despite such assurances, however, the boys felt 
far from easy as they rolled up in their blankets 
in their hammocks and listened to the cries and 
calls of invisible things on every side. But they 
were tired and sleepy, the incessant, droning, 
chirping of myriads of insects and the chorus of 
frog notes blended into a sort of hypnotic chant, 
they found themselves unconsciously trying to fit 
words to the notes in a dreamy way and the next in- 
stant, as they thought, they sprang up with startled 
exclamations as something shook their hammocks. 

“Time to get up,” cried Dr. Woodward as the 
two rubbed their eyes and stared about. “Sun’s 
rising and we must make the most of our time.” 

“Why, why, I thought we’d just gone to sleep!” 
exclaimed Fred. 

“And I was sure I was still listening to that frog 
that kept saying ‘bank notes’ across the river,” 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


87 


declared Harry. “Cricky, I can’t believe we 
slept right through until morning.” 

The forest was still dark and a fog-like mist was 
rising from the river as the canoe was shoved 
from the bank and the journey up stream was 
resumed and the boys were glad to wrap them- 
selves in blankets and ponchos as they shivered in 
the cold air of dawn. But the rising sun soon 
warmed things up and as its rays pierced the mist 
and streamed upon the forest, the jungle rang to 
a medley of bird notes. Parrots screeched and 
chattered as they winged rapidly overhead, always 
flying in pairs; toucans barked from the tree tops, 
mocking birds perched on dead trees and poured 
out their ringing, rollicking songs; troopials flashed 
in orange and black among the bushes and filled 
the air with their flute-like, liquid notes and every- 
where, thrushes, finches, flycatchers, barbets and 
hosts of birds the boys had never before seen 
chirped and sung and twittered. 

No live, red-blooded nature loving boys could 
have failed to find plenty of interest and while the 
two watched and listened and exclaimed with 
delight they maintained a sharp watch ahead 
and kept their guns in readiness, as the men told 


88 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


them they might see game at any moment. But 
the only wild animals they saw was a little troop 
of white-faced Capuchin monkeys that leaped 
chattering through the trees as they caught sight 
of the canoe, and a big, long-haired sloth that 
was deliberately crawling upside down along a 
branch and placidly nibbling at the tender leaves. 
A moment after they had passed the sloth the cay- 
uca swung around a bend and Harry uttered an 
exclamation of surprise. “Look, there’s a boat!” 
he cried. 

“Jiminy, they’re Indians!” exclaimed Fred, 
excitedly. 

“Jove, so they are!” agreed his uncle. 

“Chokois,” remarked Pedro. 

By now, the oncoming cayuca was close at hand 
and the boys gazed with a tingle of excitement at 
their first wild Indians. 

. Standing upon the bow of the canoe was a short 
stocky man, his head covered with a mop of thick 
blue-black hair, his skin gleaming like polished 
copper in the sun and naked save for a scarlet 
loin-cloth. On the stern perched another man, 
while in the canoe squatted two women and several 
children, their long, black hair hanging over their 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


89 


shoulders and clad only in short kirtles of brilliant- 
colored cloth. 

Slipping silently down the river in the wilder- 
ness, their bronze skins and gaudy loin-cloths 
reflected in the still water, they formed a perfect 
picture of the untamed wild and over the boys’ 
minds flashed the stories of the savage Kunas 
they had heard. 

But the Chokois, who were now alongside, were 
far from savage and grinning broadly greeted the 
strangers in Spanish and shook hands in friendly 
fashion, while the women gazed with unwinking, 
cow-like eyes as if the two white boys were as 
strange and interesting to them as they were to 
the boys. 

Their village, the Chokois said, was but two 
hours travel up river and with a parting hand- 
shake they pushed off down stream. 

“Golly, they are wild looking!” exclaimed 
Harry as the Indians left. “I’d never have 
believed we’d see such people here.” 

“Mr. Johnson wasn’t jollying us after all, when 
he said we’d see wild Indians,” declared Fred. 
“If the Kunas are any wilder than the Chokois 
I’ll begin to believe all the stories about them.” 


90 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“They’re probably just about as savage as these 
fellows,” declared Dr. Woodward. “And you 
can see how dangerous they are.” 

But at mention of the word Kunas, the two boat- 
men had glanced at the three Americans and had 
commenced talking excitedly to each other, 
gesturing vehemently, ceasing their work and 
chattering so rapidly that the boys could not grasp 
a word of their conversation. 

“Tell them to hurry up,” Dr. Woodward com- 
manded Claudio. “What are they talking about, 
anyway.^” 

“This mens no like Kunas,” explained Claudio. 
“Plenty much ’fraid, he say no go for Kuna place 
Senor.” 

“Well they won’t go to any place at this rate,” 
cried Dr. Woodward sharply. Then, addressing 
the boatmen, he ordered them to stop their 
discussion and go ahead. 

Rather surlily the men obeyed, but presently, 
they were joking and laughing again and singing 
snatches of native songs as they flung their weight 
upon their poles and forced the big cayuca against 
the ever increasing current. 

“We ought to be near that Chokoi village,” 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


91 


remarked Dr. Woodward when two hours had 
passed. “Hello, here we are!” 

As he spoke, the canoe shot around a steep, 
out jutting bank, beyond which half a dozen canoes 
were moored to the shore. Gathered about them 
were a dozen or more Indians and instantly, as 
they caught sight of the approaching cayuca, 
the women and children uttered startled cries 
and fled up the bank and out of sight like a bevy of 
frightened partridges. 

The next moment, the canoe grated on the 
beach and the Chokoi men gathered about the new- 
comers, grinning and laughing so good naturedly 
that the boys felt they must be a jolly lot despite 
their savage aspect. 

It was, however, a strange sensation for Harry 
and Fred to find themselves surrounded by naked 
Indians, their faces streaked with red paint, enor- 
mous silver rings and knobs in their ears and many 
with bows and arrows in their hands, and the two 
could scarcely do more than stare wonderingly 
about. 

Jabbering in Spanish, the Chokois helped the 
boatmen and shouldering the luggage led the way 
up the bank followed by Dr. Woodward and the 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


boys. At the summit, stood an old gray-headed 
Indian, wearing a ragged coat in addition to his 
loin-cloth, and as the Americans approached he 
shook hands gravely and informed them he was the 
chief of the village. He was such a kindly-looking 
old fellow that the boys liked him instantly, but all 
their attention was devoted to taking in the 
strange scene about them. A short distance away 
were several houses, open thatched affairs raised on 
posts ten feet above the ground, and peering at the 
newcomers were dozens of Indians. 

Towards the largest house, the old chief now led 
the way and after him Dr. Woodward and the boys 
climbed up a primitive ladder, consisting of a 
notched stick, and entered the chief’s home. 

And as the boys, fascinated by the strange sur- 
roundings, gazed about, they could scarcely realize 
that they were barely one hundred miles from 
the busy city of Panama and the great Canal. It 
was all so unreal, so strange, so utterly unlike 
anything they had ever seen or imagined, that 
they could hardly believe they were not dreaming. 
All around them were Indians, the women and 
children at one side squatting on mats of bark 
spread upon the floor of reeds, the men seated on 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


93 


carved, wooden stools, or standing about their 
visitors, and all chattering like a flock of magpies. 

In the rear of the hut, an old woman was busy 
cooking in a huge earthen pot over a fire built 
upon a bed of clay, and everywhere, tucked into 
the thatch, standing in corners or hanging to 
rafters were weapons, utensils and ornaments. 
Dr. Woodward was busily talking with the Indians 
and the boys, overcoming their first shyness, 
occupied themselves examining the countless 
interesting objects about the house. There were 
long bows and queer arrows, baskets and mats of 
woven palm, carved and decorated calabashes, 
ornamented canoe paddles, strings of shells and 
animals’ teeth, cane and bamboo flutes and great 
wooden drums. 

“Golly, there’s an idol!” exclaimed Harry, as he 
caught sight of a big, gaily painted, carved wooden 
image on a rafter. “Oh, Dad; it’s something 
like that radium god. Perhaps these fellows know 
about it.” 

“It’s a very different god,” declared his father, 
as he examined the rude Chokoi idol, “but we’ll 
soon see if they recognize your find.” 

Rummaging in his bag. Dr. Woodward drew out 


94 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the box containing the plaster copy of the idol he 
had had made, and unwrapping the little god, he 
showed it to the Chokois and asked if they 
recognized it. For an instant they gazed at it and 
then a look of terror spread over their faces, they 
talked excitedly in their native tongue and the 
old chief declared in positive tones that neither 
he nor his people had ever seen anything like 
it, adding that he was sure it must be a very 
evil god. 

“Well, we’ll have to try somewhere else,” said 
Dr. Woodward as he replaced the counterfeit idol 
in its box. 

“I believe they do know something,” declared 
Harry. “Did you see how frightened they looked 
when they saw it.^” 

“I hardly think so,” replied his father. “They 
are superstitious like all savages and the sight of 
any strange and hideous idol might well startle 
them.” 

“I suppose that’s so,” admitted Harry. “That 
god’s ugly enough to frighten anyone. But I’m 
disappointed just the same. I thought sure we’d 
find out something here.” 

Dr. Woodward laughed. “We’ve only begun 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


95 


to search,” he replied. “We don’t even know 
the idol came from Panama and Darien is only a 
small part of the country. There are half a dozen 
tribes in other parts of the republic, as well as 
several sub-tribes of the Chokois, not to mention 
your supposedly bloodthirsty Kunas.” 

At this moment, Claudio, who had been stand- 
ing at some distance, approached. “Him Chokois 
mans plenty much ’fraid that fellow god,” he said 
in low tones. “Me, I myself, sabe so. Dis 
Chokoi spik plenty, bout Kuna. Mebbe he sabe 
that fellow god one Kuna god.” 

But despite all Dr. Woodward’s and Claudio’s 
questions, the Chokois still insisted that they 
knew nothing about such a god and knew as little 
about the Kunas, although they stated that they 
were “bad” and lived far away up another river. 

“I guess we might as well go on tomorrow,” 
declared Dr. Woodward. “We’re just wasting 
time here.” 

But when the old chief heard of this he insisted 
that his visitors must remain another day to wit- 
ness a dance and a wedding which were to take 
place at a nearby village, and as Dr. Woodward 
was deeply interested in all the customs of the 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Indians and the boys begged him to stay, he 
consented. 

When the boys arose the next morning they 
found the Chokois very busy with preparations for 
the festivities. Some were painting themselves 
with brilliant red and black designs, others were 
donning all their finery and when, at last, they 
were fully decked out, they were ablaze with color 
and gorgeous to behold. About their heads were 
bands of bright-hued beads; their gaudy scarlet, 
yellow or blue loin-clothes were held in place by 
broad, woven, bead belts; across their chests and 
shoulders were draped fathoms of strung beads, 
shells, bright colored seeds and animals’ teeth; 
about their arms, wrists and ankles were broad 
bands of polished silver; in their ears were immense 
earrings of the same metal and about their necks 
they wore collars and necklaces of mother-of-pearl, 
silver, teeth and beads, while, to finish off all, 
scarlet and orange flowers were tucked in their 
head bands and behind their ears. 

Finally all were ready, the Chokois trooped 
from their village to the landing place, and em- 
barking in the canoes, headed up stream for the 
scene of the celebration. As surrounded by the 



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AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


97 


Indians in their barbaric, brilliant garb, the boys 
sped up the jungle river, they felt as if they had 
suddenly stepped into the distant past, as though 
they were back in the days of Balboa and the 
conquistadores; that they were really discoverers, 
the first white people to penetrate the unknown 
wilderness. 

Soon after leaving the Chokoi village, the 
canoes turned up a smaller stream and half an 
hour later were run ashore amid a score of other 
canoes and were instantly surrounded by a crowd 
of Indians. Gay with color and beads were these 
also, and, in addition to their other ornaments, 
several wore high crowns of carved and painted 
wood upon their heads. Laughing and prancing, 
yelling and blowing upon shrill toned reed flutes, 
the mob of Indians escorted the newcomers to 
their village. Before one of the houses was a 
large, wooden platform and above it was sus- 
pended a strange affair of dangling pendants of 
carved and decorated wood strung to a frame- 
work of canes, and which swayed and clashed 
together in the breeze, emitting a tinkling, mus- 
ical sound. 

No sooner had the party arrived than the fun 


98 


IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


began. To the sounds of pipes, flutes and the 
boom of a huge drum the Chokois commenced to 
dance, capering about on the platform in groups of 
two or three, stamping their feet, pounding the 
resonant boards with carved dance sticks, and 
shouting at the top of their lungs until exhausted. 
As fast as one lot drew away to rest, others took 
their places, until all had danced to the point where 
they could dance no more. To the boys, it was all 
a strange, fascinating, wonderful sight, a scene 
they would ever remember, but it became tiresome 
at last and they were glad when the final dancer 
flung himself upon the ground, the savage music 
ceased and Claudio explained that the marriage 
was about to take place. 

A moment later, a young woman appeared, her 
skin painted with strange designs in scarlet, and 
followed by the crowd, she crossed to a new house 
and climbed up the ladder. Seating herself on the 
floor, she proceeded to grind corn in a mortar and 
then, mixing the meal with water, she baked a thin 
cake or tortilla on a hot stone over the fire. Then, 
from the crowd, a man stepped forth and entered 
the house and as the girl handed him the cake 
the wooden drum boomed, the pipes shrieked and 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


99 


the onlooking Indians commenced to sing a weird 
chant. 

“ But when are they going to have the wedding ” 
Harry asked his father, as the din ceased. 

Dr. Woodward chuckled. “You’ve just been 
looking at it,” he replied. “The couple are 
married hard and fast now.” 

“Cricky, and I never knew it!” exclaimed 
Harry. “A minister’s job wouldn’t amount to much 
here.” 

“I’d hate to be one if I had to kiss that bride,” 
laughed Fred. 

But even if the marriage was over the Chokois’ 
merrymaking was not and great pots of stew and 
baskets of boiled crawfish were brought out, 
calabashes filled with strong palm wine were 
passed around and the Indians commenced to feast, 
gorging themselves with the food and drinking 
quarts of the liquor. 

“Come on, boys, we’ll get away before there’s 
any trouble,” said Dr. Woodward, as the Indians 
began to show signs of intoxication. “These 
savage sprees often end in fights and bloodshed 
and we don’t want to be mixed up in it.” 

Unnoticed by the carousing Indians, the party 


100 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


slipped off, and soon the sounds of hilarity from 
the Chokoi village were lost in the distance. 

‘‘Tell the men to go up the Pocretti,” Dr. Wood- 
ward had instructed Claudio as they left the village. 
“The chief says there are Indians there.” 

So, leaving the main river, the cayuca swung 
into a narrower, swiftly-flowing stream a few 
hours after leaving the Chokois. But it was hard, 
slow work forcing the canoe against the current; 
there were numerous shallow spots and rapids 
where the men were compelled to leap overboard 
and drag the cayuca up stream, and barely ten 
miles had been traveled before it was time to make 
camp. 

The jungle here was so dense that the boys 
found it impossible to make their way through the 
tangle without hewing a path with machetes, and 
so, abandoning their idea of a hunt, they amused 
themselves by wandering over a stony bar and 
picking up the smooth, bright-colored pebbles of 
agate, bloodstone and jasper which were scattered 
about. They were stooping over, intent on this, 
when Dr. Woodward approached. 

“Well, what are you boys finding he asked. 
“Looking for gold.^^” 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


101 


“No, we’re just picking up agates,” replied 
Harry. “There isn’t any gold here is there.^^” 

“I don’t know,” declared his father, “but I 
shouldn’t be a bit surprised. At any rate, we can 
soon find out. Just run over to the camp and get 
three tin plates and tell one of the men to come 
along with a shovel and we’ll play prospectors for a 
time.” 

Presently Harry returned, with Jose bearing a 
pick and shovel, and as the coarse surface pebbles 
of the bar were scraped away Dr. Woodward filled 
the plates with the finer gravel below. With the 
boys close beside him and watching his every 
move, he squatted at the edge of the stream and 
dipping his pan of gravel into the water he com- 
menced to shake and twirl it back and forth, throw- 
ing off some of the gravel with the water at each 
twist. Again and again he filled the pan with 
water and continued to wash away the gravel 
until only fine, dark-colored sand remained. 
“Now we’ll soon see,” he declared as the two 
boys bent still closer, breathlessly watching the 
rapidly decreasing sand in the plate. 

“Oh, there ’tis!” shouted Fred suddenly, “I 
saw it, I saw gold ! Hurrah ! ” 


102 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Where? Where is it?” cried Harry excitedly, 
almost knocking the pan from his father’s hands in 
his eagerness. 

“Hold on, hold on!” exclaimed Dr. Woodward. 
“If it’s here it won’t run away.” 

As he spoke, he tipped his pan slowly, the 
glistening black sand slipped along the bot- 
tom and both boys let out yells that would have 
shamed an Indian. Spread in a little line at the 
edge of the sand were a number of yellow flakes. 

“Yes, there’s gold here,” declared Dr. Wood- 
ward. “But don’t get so excited over it, boys.” 

“Gosh, who wants to find anything about the 
old idol if we can just dig gold like this?” cried 
Harry. “We can stay right here and make a 
fortune. Jiminy, I never knew ’twas so easy to 
get gold!” 

His father burst into a hearty laugh and Jose, 
who had been looking on, chuckled at the boys’ 
enthusiasm. 

“You’re bitten by the gold bug!” exclaimed 
Dr. Woodward. “But you’d have a hard time 
making enough to keep you in food by panning 
gold here.” 

“I don’t see how,” said Fred. “You found all 


AMONG THE CHOKOIS 


103 


that gold in just one plate full of sand, and there 
are millions of plate fulls here.” 

“Yes, about five cents worth to ten pounds of 
sand,” laughed his uncle. “In other words, about 
ten dollars to the ton of gravel. How many tons 
could you wash out by hand in a day.? ” 

The boys’ faces fell. “Was that only five cents 
worth.?” asked Harry. “It looked like about 
five dollars worth to me.” 

“Gold always looks like more than it is,” his 
father told him. “However, you can have a lot of 
fun panning, but you’ll find it a bit of a trick to 
learn.” Then, with a twinkle in his eyes, he 
added, “And you may find a rich pocket or some 
big nuggets.” 

“ Oh, I know you’re joking now,” declared Harry, 
“but just the same we can wash out some and take 
it back and tell the other boys how we got it.” 

Eager to try their hands, the two seized their 
plates of sand and did their best to twirl the pans 
and wash away the gravel as they had seen Dr. 
W^oodward. But they found it no easy matter. 
Time and again they tried, patiently keeping at it, 
until with Dr. W^oodward’s help, they at last 
mastered the trick and fairly screamed with 


104 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


excitement when they saw the little streak of 
yellow in the bottoms of their plates. 

“ Say, I don’t wonder men go crazy over mining,” 
declared Harry, as the two worked feverishly. 
“It’s the most exciting thing I ever did.” 

“You bet ’tis,” replied Fred, “I wish we could 
stay here a week.” 

But the boys soon discovered that panning gold 
is no child’s play and when at last, darkness com- 
pelled them to stop, they found arms, legs and 
backs so lame and aching that they were glad to 
limp to camp and fling themselves into their 
hammocks. 

They were not without a reward for their labors 
however, for each had secured a little pile of the 
dull, yellow grains which they had won by their 
own efforts from the river’s sands. They were 
filled with pride at their success and they could 
picture the envy of their boy friends when they 
related the story of their adventures and exhibited 
their “dust” upon their return to New York. 


CHAPTER VII 

A NARROW ESCAPE 

All through the next day they poled up the 
stream, constantly being compelled to disembark 
and drag the cayuca over shoals and up rapids, 
stopping only for lunch and a noonday rest, and 
ever penetrating deeper and deeper into the dense, 
unbroken jungle. Not until mid afternoon did 
they see a sign of Indians, — a small canoe drawn 
upon the bank with the top of a thatched hut 
showing above the bushes. But when the cayuca 
had been run ashore and the party clambered up 
the bank, they found no Indians there. There was 
a gaping hole in the bottom of the canoe; the 
thatch of the house was full of openings; weeds 
and grass were growing about it and evidently no 
Indians had occupied the place for several months. 

“Probably they’ve moved farther up stream,” 
105 


106 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


said Dr. Woodward. “But there’s no use in going 
on today. We’ll camp here and sling our ham- 
mocks in the house.” 

There was little for the men to do and so, with 
Pedro accompanying them, the boys started for 
the forest on a hunt. 

For some distance an overgrown clearing 
extended from the river to the forest and Pedro, 
telling them this was a good spot for deer, dropped 
back and let the others go ahead. But it was 
hard to move without making a noise, for the place 
was strewn with the huge fallen trees, vines and 
creepers formed a tangle underfoot and the coarse 
weeds and brush were thick, and although Pedro 
pointed out many tracks of deer and smaller 
creatures no game was seen. Then, as they came 
to a more open space, Pedro stopped abruptly 
and bending down beckoned to the two boys to 
come near. “Tiger!” he whispered as he showed 
them the big imprints of some creature’s feet on a 
patch of soft, bare earth. 

“ Tiger ! ” exclaimed Harry in low tones. “ Gosh, 
Fred, it’s a jaguar’s tracks!” 

Silently but excitedly, the two boys stooped and 
examined the tracks while Pedro, in whispers. 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


107 


declared the big cat had passed by very recently 
and that, by careful trailing, they might catch 
sight of it and have a chance to shoot. 

Filled with suppressed excitement at the thought 
of shooting a jaguar and, if the truth were told, not 
a little nervous at the prospect, for to them the 
creature was as dangerous as a real tiger, the two 
crept after Pedro as he stole silently forward, care- 
fully examining the earth and leaves as he 
proceeded. 

Several times he missed the trail and was obliged 
to search for some time before he again found it, 
but at last they reached a deep gully, the bed of 
a small stream with a few pools of water in the 
bottom, and the jaguar’s tracks showed clear and 
distinct in the soft red earth. 

On one side the dense brush stretched away to 
the river and on the other a narrow strip of low 
bushes separated the gully from the forest. 
Following the creature’s trail, the three slipped 
noiselessly down the bank, and watching each 
step, avoiding every stone, with guns ready for 
instant use, they moved on. That the jaguar had 
been there but a few minutes before them was soon 
evident. In places where his footprints were near 


108 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the edges of the pools the water was still oozing 
into them, in one spot he had dug into the earth 
as if searching for some burrowing creature and 
the freshly upturned dirt was still moist. The 
boys’ fingers tingled and they felt a strange 
tightening sensation at the backs of their necks as 
they realized they might come upon the savage 
brute at any moment. 

Minute after minute slipped by; so tense were 
the boys’ nerves that they could hear the pounding 
of their hearts, and they had an almost hysterical 
longing to yell. Then there was a slight sound 
from ahead and the next second a great, lithe, 
jet-black creature sprang upon a fallen tree in the 
gully less than fifty feet distant. Taken absolutely 
by surprise, too startled to cry out, too dumb- 
founded to shoot, the boys and Pedro stood as if 
paralyzed, staring with wide eyes at the magni- 
ficent savage creature that, as much surprised as 
they, remained motionless upon the log, its fierce 
yellow eyes fixed upon them, one paw half raised, 
as immovable as though carved in ebony. 

Only for an instant it stood and then, quick as a 
flash of light, it crouched and bounded for the 
bank. And at its movement the spell was broken. 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


109 


To the boys came thought and action and as the 
jaguar reached the verge of the bank two sharp 
reports rang out as one. 

For the space of a second the creature hesitated, 
the long tail switched through the air, there was a 
savage snarl and before the boys could fire again 
the jaguar was crashing off through the bushes. 

“ Gosh, we missed him ! ” cried Harry, as dashing 
after Pedro who had rushed forward, they 
scrambled up the bank at his heels. 

The next moment Pedro gave an excited yell 
and pointed to a clump of green leaves splashed 
with crimson blood. 

“Hurrah, we hit him!’’ yelled Fred. “He’s 
wounded, perhaps we can get him.” 

As he spoke, Pedro was pushing through the 
brush, following the broken twigs and blood 
stains left by the wounded jaguar, but constantly 
peering cautiously ahead and in broken sentences 
warning the boys to be ready and explaining that a 
wounded jaguar is dangerous. 

“And the black one, — the tigre negro, — is most 
savage of all!” he declared, as if he relished the 
idea. “Si, Senores, the black one is a fiend — the 
Indians say he is a devil in a tiger’s skin. Who 


110 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


knows? Perhaps it is so. Perhaps they are made 
black to match the devil’s blackness in their 
hearts!” 

It was bad enough, nerve-racking enough, 
for the two boys to be pushing through thick 
brush on the trail of a wounded jaguar without 
Pedro making it worse. But while they were 
inwardly quaking and knew they were afraid, yet 
they had no intention of letting Pedro know it, for 
if he could dare follow the wounded beast so could 
they. How much truth there was in his words 
they did not know, but both boys had read many 
stories of the ferocity of the most cowardly wild 
beasts when wounded; they knew the jaguar was 
far from cowardly and they remembered having 
heard or read that the black variety is considered 
far more dangerous than the spotted kind. 

Had they been by themselves it is doubtful if 
they would have attempted to trail the jaguar in 
the first place and they certainly would never 
have dared follow him when wounded, but they 
were game boys and even when Pedro drew back 
as they approached the forest, and motioned for 
them to go ahead, they did not hesitate. 

Slowly they stepped forward, peering to right 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


111 


and left, expecting any moment to see the great 
cat crouched ready to spring and with a sickly 
sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs. But 
nothing happened; they reached the limit of the 
brush; above them rose the great forest trees and 
still plain before them were the splashes of blood. 
For twenty yards or more they followed the crim- 
son stains and then stopped puzzled. Not another 
spot of blood was visible, — the trail ended as 
though the jaguar had been swallowed up by the 
earth. 

‘‘Carramba!” muttered Pedro as he came up to 
the boys and looked about for blood spots in vain. 

Slowly and cautiously the three searched about, 
approaching each tree or possible hiding place with 
guns cocked and ready, but without success. The 
jaguar had vanished utterly and as the minutes 
passed the boys’ nervousness left them and at last 
they abandoned the search and stood waiting while 
Pedro, on hands and knees, was examining the 
ground a few yards away. Stepping to one side, 
Harry was about to examine an odd-looking 
plant when a bit of bark fell from above and struck 
his hat. Involuntarily he glanced up and the 
blood seemed to freeze in his veins, his heart 


in IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


seemed to stop. Upon a projecting bran-ch 
directly over his head, yellow eyes blazing, sharp 
teeth bared, crouched the wounded jaguar ready 
to spring ! There was no time to run, no time even 
to cry out; in the fraction of a second the ferocious 
beast would hurl itself upon him and without think- 
ing — intuitively, spasmodically almost — Harry 
jerked up his gun, pulled the trigger and with a 
yell leaped aside, all in the same breath. At the 
same instant, with a snarl that rang through 
the forest, the jaguar sprang, Harry was knocked 
from his feet by a blow upon his shoulder and with 
a terrified scream scrambled to his feet, expecting 
to feel the beast’s claws buried in his flesh the 
next moment. But the huge black body lay 
stretched upon the ground, motionless save 
for a slight spasmodic twitching of the tail, with 
the great muscles relaxed, blood oozing from 
between the gleaming teeth and fierce yellow eyes 
half closed. Very cautiously and with ready gun, 
Harry approached; but there was no need for fear, 
the jaguar was dead. 

“Gee Whittaker!” cried Fred, who had dodged 
behind a tree at his cousin’s yell. “ Gosh ! Say, that 
a close shave ! And you got him ! Hurrah!” 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


113 


Wildly, hysterically the two boys laughed and 
danced and yelled, stooping to examine the dead 
jaguar, uttering delighted exclamations and in a 
frenzy of excitement over their success. 

“Hello, where’s Pedro?” exclaimed Fred pres- 
ently, and for the first time noticing that the native 
was nowhere to be seen. 

Raising their voices, the two shouted the 
fellow’s name, but there was no reply. Again and 
again they yelled and at last, from the distance, 
came an answering hail and presently the boatmen 
came crashing through the brush. 

“You’re a fine one!” cried Harry as the man 
appeared. “To run off like that. You are a 
coward!” 

Pedro grinned sheepishly as he looked furtively 
and uneasily at the dead jaguar. “Carramba, 
no!” he exclaimed at last. “But what would you, 
Senores? My heart was brave and told me to 
remain, but my feet were cowards and ran and 
they carried me far before I could make them 
obey ! ” 

“I expect they’d have carried you clear to El 
Real if we hadn’t called,” laughed Fred, amused 
at the fellow’s naive excuse. “Now see if you can 


114 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


make your hands and feet obey and help us get 
this beast to camp.” 

Anxious to retrieve himself, Pedro hustled 
about, cutting a stout stick or pole and gathering 
a coil of flexible, tough lianas, and as he lashed 
the feet of the jaguar to the pole, he kept up a 
running fire of comment on the size and ferocity of 
the jaguar, the boys’ bravery, Harry’s marks- 
manship and his own delight at their success. 

With Pedro bearing one end of the pole and the 
boys taking turns at the other, the three started 
back towards camp. But the jaguar was no small 
load, the way was rough, and over and over again 
they were compelled to stop and rest, so that 
it was nearly dark when they finally reached the 
deserted Indian hut and threw down their burden 
before the amazed eyes of Dr. Woodward and the 
others. 

“By Jove ! ” cried Harry’s father, when he at last 
recovered from his astonishment. “A black jaguar! 
And a whopper at that ! But you boys shouldn’t 
take such risks. How did you get him? ” 

Rapidly and excitedly the two boys related their 
story while, with vivid gestures, flashing eyes 
and innumerable “Carrambas!” Pedro regaled 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


115 


Jose and Claudio with his version of the hunt 
and quite forgetting to mention the incident of his 
disobedient feet. 

So elated and excited were the boys that they 
could scarcely eat and could hardly wait for the 
men to finish their meal before putting them to 
work skinning the jaguar. And it is safe to say 
that there were no prouder or more delighted boys 
in the world than Harry and Fred as they sat 
in their hammocks and gazed at the great, satiny, 
black hide hung across a rafter of the Indian hut. 

Despite their exciting afternoon they slept at 
last and awoke at dawn, instantly turning their 
eyes to the jaguar skin in order to assure them- 
selves that it was not all a dream. 

At Dr. Woodward’s suggestion, the boys had 
brought along a supply of formaldehyde, as they 
had expected to secure some skins as trophies, and 
mixing a weak solution of this in a bucket they 
placed their jaguar skin in the perservative and 
stowed it in the canoe with the rest of the luggage. 

For several hours they pushed on up the stream 
and had penetrated fully ten miles farther into the 
wild, when, without warning, the canoe shot from 
the forest-shaded stream into a broad expanse of 


116 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


water with bare cleared banks. Instantly, from 
the shore, came the sharp barks and yelps of dogs; 
before the headway of the cayuca could be checked 
it had bumped against the shore among half a 
dozen dug-outs, and the next moment two men 
appeared. That they were not Chokois was evi- 
dent at the first glance, for their skins were light 
yellow, they were tall and well built and they 
were clad in loose trousers and blouse-like bright 
colored shirts. 

“What on earth are they.^” cried Harry. “Are 
they Indians.^” But before his father could reply 
Pedro uttered a startled ejaculation. “Kunas!” 
he exclaimed, “Kunas mansos!” 

“Kunas!” reiterated Fred. “Gee, now we’re 
in for it!” 

“They don’t look as savage as the Chokois,” 
declared Harry striving to hide his nervousness. 

“Dis man’s Kunas mansos,” put in Claudio. 
“Tame Kunas, him not bad fellow. No be ’fraid 
him, Senores.” 

“Oh, they’re tame then!” exclaimed Harry 
relieved. “I don’t understand it.” 

“Neither do I,” admitted his father. “First 
they tell incredible tales of the savages and are 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


117 


terror stricken at mention of them and now they 
say they’re tame and not bad. It’s just as I 
thought, — pure nonsense.” 

By now the Indians had reached the water side 
and were greeting the strangers in Spanish in 
friendly fashion. 

“Say, Harry, they look just like Chinamen,” 
said Fred in low tones. “I don’t believe they are 
Indians.” 

“I guess the men know,” replied Harry. “But 
they don’t look dangerous.” 

“And our men aren’t a bit afraid of them,” 
added Fred. “I’ll bet all those stories were just 
to frighten us, and we won’t have any adventures 
at all.” 

“Come on, boys,” cried Dr. Woodward. “We’re 
going up to the village to see the Kunas at home.” 
Then, with a chuckle, he added, “Better look out 
for the soles of your feet, remember what Johnson 
told you!” 

With the two strange, yellow-skinned Kunas 
leading the way, the party climbed up the steep 
path to the summit of the bank to see an enormous 
well-built house surrounded by pawpaw and 
banana trees with a smaller building beside it. 


118 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Whew, that’s some house!” exclaimed Harry. 
“But there’s only one. I don’t see any vil- 
lage.” 

There was no one in sight and the boys began to 
think their two guides the only occupants of the 
place when a weird-looking figure stepped from 
the smaller building, stared at the party for an 
instant and dodged out of sight. But in that brief 
space of time the boys had obtained a good view of 
her, — for it was evidently a woman, — and it was 
no wonder that they uttered exclamations of sur- 
prise. Prom shoulders to knees she was clad in a 
gaudy, smock-like garment covered with bold 
geometrical designs in red, yellow, scarlet and 
blue; about her arms and legs were tight bands of 
bright-colored cotton ; her long hair hung below her 
waist and over her eyes; her skin was painted inky 
black and in her nose she wore a large, triangular, 
gold ornament. 

“ Cricky, she was wild looking enough 1 ” declared 
Fred. “Say, these are a queer lot.” 

“Extremely interesting,” said his uncle. “A 
remarkable race. I shall try to remain a few days 
to study them.” 

“Perhaps they’ll know about the old god,” 


A NARROW ESCAPE 119 

suggested Harry. “Claudio said it might be a 
Kuna god.” 

They had now reached the big house and to the 
boys’ surprise they found that one end of the 
structure was open, that it was two stories in 
height and that a well made ladder led from the 
ground to the floor above. Following the Kunas 
up this, the three found themselves in a large room 
where, seated on high, carved stools, and lolling 
in big cotton hammocks were half a dozen Kunas. 

Some were clad in trousers and shirts, others 
wore the trousers only, a few had their heads 
wrapped in bright colored cloth and all were yellow 
skinned, well built and decidedly Chinese in 
appearance. 

Mumbling a few words of greeting in Spanish, 
the fellows gave no further heed to the visitors, 
but commenced talking rapidly in their own dialect 
with the two who had been to the landing place. 
In the meantime, the boys looked about. If they 
had found the interior of the Chokoi house interest- 
ing it was nothing compared to that of the Kunas. 
Everywhere were beautifully carved stools, clubs, 
paddles and ornaments. Magnificent baskets were 
scattered about; long, powerful bows and six-foot 


120 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


arrows stood here and there; strings of cowry shells, 
jaguar teeth, beads and crudely made gold discs 
hung from pegs; an enormous drum with a jaguar 
skin head stood in one corner. Carefully placed 
upon a timber of the house was a blow-gun with its 
basket work holder full of tiny poisoned darts, 
while, fastened to an upright timber at the front 
of the house, was a big, carved wooden idol. 

All this the boys saw as they glanced about and 
the next moment their attention was drawn to a 
new arrival who came up the ladder. He was a 
stout, elderly man clad in shirt and trousers with a 
scarlet cloth about his head. He spoke to Dr. 
Woodward in Spanish, said he was the chief and at 
once commenced asking questions as to why the 
Americans had come to his village. 

Dr. Woodward replied that he was interested in 
Indian lore, that he had heard that the Kunas were 
a wonderful tribe and that he had wanted to visit 
them in their home and that he would like to 
remain with them for a few days. 

The chief listened attentively until Dr. Wood- 
ward had finished and then, turning to his tribes- 
men, he spoke earnestly. At the close of each 
of his sentences the others drew a deep breath and 


A NARROW ESCAPE 


121 


exclaimed: “Ah-ee-ah-oo!” in a manner which 
simply fascinated the two boys. As he ceased 
speaking, the others talked together for a few 
moments and then the chief turned to Dr. Wood- 
ward and told him he and his party might remain, 
but that they were not to wander into the forest 
unless accompanied by a member of the tribe, as 
it was dangerous. 

“I’d like to know what the danger is” said 
Harry. “I guess he thinks we’re just kids or 
tenderfeet.” 

But when Dr. Woodward asked the old fellow 
what he referred to, he evaded the question and 
refused to reply. 

“It’s mighty funny there aren’t any women or 
children here,” remarked Fred. “We only saw 
one. I wonder how many houses there are in the 
village and where they are. I wish you’d ask 
him Uncle Frank.” 

To Dr. Woodward’s questions the chief replied 
that the village consisted of the two buildings and 
that women and children occupied the smaller 
house and that they rarely left their quarters except 
in the early morning and late afternoon as they 
were afraid of the sun. 


m IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


‘‘Seems to me everyone up here is afraid of 
something,” declared Harry. 

Presently the conversation became quite general 
and after Dr. Woodward had made the Kunas 
presents of knives, cloth and beads and their 
first aloofness was overcome, he got out the plaster 
imitation of the mysterious idol and asked the 
chief if he recognized it. 

Instantly an odd expression crossed the faces of 
the Kunas, an expression half-reverential, half- 
fearful, a fleeting expression almost instantly 
suppressed and the next moment the chief was 
assuring Dr. Woodward that neither he nor any of 
his men had ever seen anything like it. 

“He’s not telling the truth. I’ll bet,” exclaimed 
Harry. “He does know something about it I’m 
sure.” 

“I don’t know but you’re right,” admitted his 
father. “I was watching his face and I’m begin- 
ning to think there’s something he’s keeping from 
us. There’s certainly something mysterious here 
and I’m going to try to get to the bottom of it. 
Why doesn’t he want us to leave the vicinity alone 
and what’s the danger he talks about? Perhaps 
we’ve struck the trail of the god after all.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 

Although the Kunas had given permission for 
Dr. Woodward and the boys to visit them and had 
allotted a portion of the big room to their use, yet 
they did not permit the boatmen or Claudio to 
share the house and the three Panamanians made 
their camp beside the river. But they did not 
appear to fear the Kunas in the least and chatted 
and talked to them as they brought up the luggage, 
which puzzled the boys as they had seemed so 
much afraid of entering the Kuna country a few 
days previously, and had told gruesome tales of the 
Kunas’ ferocity and savagery. Curious to know 
the reason for this sudden change, the boys ques- 
tioned Claudio and Pedro who, to their surprise, 
explained that these were “tame” Kunas while 
the stories all referred to the “wild” Kunas who 


124 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


were totally different and dwelt far back at the 
head waters of the rivers. 

But when Harry and Fred brought this informa- 
tion to Dr. Woodward he ridiculed the statement. 
“It’s just the natives’ way of evading the truth,” 
he declared. “They’ve told so many yarns and 
have said so much about the Kunas that now we’re 
here and they realize we know the facts they evolve 
a new tale of imaginary wild Indians to continue 
the deception. You must learn, boys, not to put 
any faith in such peoples’ tales. They love to 
impress strangers and create imaginary dangers 
and perils just as children do.” 

“But we heard the same stories at El Real and 
on the launch,” objected Harry, “and even Mr. 
Johnson knew about them.” 

“Of course he did!” exclaimed his father a bit 
impatiently. “Such tales are carried from mouth 
to mouth like gossip and grow with every telling. 
You can see for yourself that the Kunas are peace- 
able and are far more intelligent and civilized than 
the Chokois. If you should visit the men’s ‘wild’ 
Kunas you’d find them exactly like these and 
they’d probably tell you the ‘wild’ ones were still 
farther away. Now just to prove the matter I’ll 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 125 


ask the chief if there’s anything to these stories.” 

But to his discomfiture and the boys’ delight, the 
chief neither denied or confirmed the stories, de- 
claring that he knew nothing of any such people, 
but that he had heard stories about them and that 
he believed “wild” Indians did live somewhere 
“beyond.” But while he was speaking, the boys 
had watched his face closely and once more Harry 
declared that in his opinion the wily old chief was 
keeping something back. 

“Say, maybe it’s those wild fellows that had the 
old radium god,” suggested Fred. 

“ Wild fiddlesticks ! ” exclaimed his uncle. “How- 
ever, if there are any I intend to find them after 
we leave here.” 

Despite the fact that the boys were somewhat 
disappointed at finding the Kunas peaceable and 
far from savage, they greatly enjoyed their stay 
among them, although they were a bit nervous 
and did not sleep any too well during their first 
night in the big house with the Indians about them, 
for the Kunas did not have the frank, good-natured 
manners and jolly ways of the Chokois. There 
was something cruel, sinister and repelling in their 
faces, something about them that made the boys 


126 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


instinctively distrust them, and they had vague 
feelings that perhaps, after all, they might be 
savage and treacherous and only awaiting a chance 
to attack their visitors. But nothing happened, 
the boys slept undisturbed at last, and with the 
daylight they laughed at their own fears. 

During the preceding afternoon they had seen 
a number of the queerly dressed women and now, 
early in the morning, they were again visible, but 
they were very shy and kept their faces averted 
and scurried out of sight as soon as possible when- 
ever they saw the strangers watching them. 

Later on, the boys wandered about, examining 
everything of interest, and even peeping into the 
women’s house and watching the occupants weav- 
ing hammocks, grinding corn and baking tortillas 
But even the interests in an Indian village are ex- 
hausted in time and the boys welcomed Dr. 
Woodward’s announcement that they were to 
leave the following morning. 

As the stream above the Kuna village was un- 
navigable the cayuca slipped down the river with 
the current and the boys’ spirits fell as they had 
hoped to go farther into the interior; but Dr. 
Woodward reassured them. ‘T’ve been question- 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 127 


ing the Kunas,” he explained, “and I find this is 
not the main stream. The real river turns at 
nearly right angles a few miles below and we must 
have missed it coming up. It’s probably there 
that we’ll find the Indians the Chokois mentioned.” 

Carefully they watched the jungle-covered banks 
in search of an opening until, an hour or so after 
leaving the Kunas, they noticed a narrow stream 
issuing from beneath the drooping foliage. It 
seemed hardly more than a tiny brook, but Dr. 
Woodward was taking no chances of missing the 
spot he sought and as the bow of the cayuca was 
pushed into the foliage the leaves parted to reveal 
a broad, quiet waterway beyond. 

A moment later, the river behind them was lost 
to view and they were floating on a hidden stream, 
dark and mysterious with the branches of the huge 
forest trees meeting in an impenetrable arched 
roof a hundred feet and more above their 
heads. 

“ Golly !” exclaimed Fred. “ If there are any In- 
dians up here they’re mighty well hidden. I’d 
never have guessed there was a river here.” 

“And isn’t it dark and creepy!” added Harry. 
“I feel as if we were millions of miles from 


ns IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


anywhere with all sorts of dangerous things 
about.” 

Apparently the boatmen were somewhat affected 
by their surroundings also, for, as they poled the 
cayuca up the hidden river, they glanced furtively 
about, often speaking in low tones together and 
seeming far from being at ease. 

Winding in and out, swinging in great curves, 
dark, deep and with scarcely any current, the river 
flowed through the dense forest. And as hour after 
hour passed and there was no sign of Indians Dr. 
Woodward began to think, that after all, they were 
on the wrong stream or that the Chokois had mis- 
informed him. The noonday stop was made on a 
narrow strip of rocky beach and the boys, wander- 
ing about, saw something floating in the water at 
the edge of the bank and approached it. 

“Hello!” exclaimed Fred as they drew near. 
“It’s some animal.” 

“I guess you’re right,” returned Harry. “I 
wonder what it is.” 

Hurrying forward, the boys discovered that it 
was the body of a small deer. “He hasn’t been 
dead long,” affirmed Fred. “See, the blood’s still 
fresh about his mouth.” 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 129 


“ Golly, that’s right ! ” agreed his cousin. “What 
do you suppose killed him.^^” 

Stooping down, the boys turned the deer over 
and uttered surprised exclamations. Projecting 
from the animal’s side was a broken arrow shaft. 

“Gee whiz!” Harry ejaculated. “He’s been 
killed by Indians. Say, there must be a village 
up this river after all.” 

Hurriedly retracing their steps to the camp they 
told Dr. Woodward of their discovery. 

“That’s good news in a way,” he commented, 
“but it doesn’t prove there’s a village up stream. 
The deer may have been killed by a wandering 
hunter or it may have been wounded miles away 
and died after a long run. However, it’s enough to 
make me continue farther up stream to make sure.” 

As the cayuca was pushed up stream and 
the boatmen saw the dead deer they ran their craft 
alongside the carcase and instantly, as they caught 
sight of the arrow, became greatly excited. 

“What’s the matter now.^” demanded Dr. 
Woodward as the men jabbered and gesticulated, 
allowing the cayuca to ground upon a bar as they 
gave all their attention to the body of the deer. 

Jose turned and genuine fear was depicted in 


130 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


his rolling eyes. “It is the deer, Senor!’’ he burst 
out. “He has been killed by an arrow!” 

“Of course he has,” cried Dr. Woodward. 
“But what of it.^ Didn’t you ever see an animal 
killed by an arrow before? Get to work and stop 
talking or we’ll never get anywhere.” 

Jose shook his head : “No, Senor ! ” he declared. 
“We do not go on. It is a Kuna arrow.” 

“You won’t go on!” challenged Dr. Woodward, 
hardly believing his ears. “What do you mean? 
Idiots! What’s a Kuna arrow to do with the 
matter? You’ve just stayed two days with Kunas.” 

“ But Senor, they were tame Kunas ! ” contended 
Pedro. “This is the arrow of a wild Kuna! See, 
it is painted black!” As he spoke, he drew the 
broken arrow from the deer and held it up. 

Dr. Woodward was thoroughly exasperated. 
“ Confound your nonsense ! ” he shouted. “ You’re 
the most arrant cowards and the biggest fools I’ve 
ever seen; with your crazy stories of ‘wild’ Kunas 
and frightened to death because you find a dead 
deer with a black arrow in it. Now get to work 
instantly and go ahead or I’ll report you to the 
alcalde. You know the penalty for refusing to 
obey.” 



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MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 131 


But the men still hesitated, examining the 
broken arrow, talking excitedly and glancing 
nervously about. 

“Very well, then,” stated Dr. Woodward pre- 
sently. “ If you won’t go on, take your things and go 
ashore. We’ll take charge of the canoe and you can 
walk back to El Real or any place that suits you.” 

At these words, the two men turned and stared at 
the speaker in amazement. This was an entirely un- 
expected proposition and not at all to their liking. 

“But, but, Senor!” protested Jose. “That is 
impossible. We cannot return without the boat, 
and, — and what could we say when we reached 
El Real? Besides, the cayuca is ours and you 
Americanos could not handle it alone.” 

“Impossible or not it’s that or go on!” decreed 
Dr. Woodward. “And what you say when you 
return is no affair of mine. Whatever you say 
you’ll no doubt wait in the calaboose until we get 
back. The canoe is yours I admit but I’ve hired it 
and I intend to keep it until I’m done with it, and 
with Claudio’s help we can manage quite well with- 
out you two rascals.” 

“But Claudio will not remain,” expostulated the 
boatman. 


132 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Won’t you, Claudio?” queried Dr. Woodward. 

Claudio fidgeted, looking] first at his country- 
men and then at the Americans, “Si, Senor,” he 
muttered at last, relapsing into his native tongue. 
“Dis mans spik he ’fraid Kuna fellow. Me, I 
myself, leetle ’fraid too, but me, I myself, sabe the 
Senor no ’fraid so me go.” 

“There you are,” cried Dr. Woodward. “Now 
you two either hustle and obey or else go ashore, 
pronto.” 

Only for a minute did the two hesitate, then, 
seeing Dr. Woodward was in earnest and choosing 
the lesser of two evils, they sullenly picked up their 
poles and grumbling to themselves, continued to 
push the cayuca up stream. 

“Don’t you think maybe there are wild Kunas 
up here?” asked Harry. “The men did look 
really frightened.” 

“Absolutely no,” declared his father. “They’ve 
listened to those nonsensical stories until they’re 
afraid of their own shadows. Why, even the Kuna 
chief back there wouldn’t admit there were any 
such people and we’re not twenty miles from his 
house. As I told you, that deer may have been 
shot miles from where we found him, so that even 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 133 


if there are a few savage Indians in the remote dis- 
tricts and even if the creature were wounded by 
them there would be no cause for fear.” 

But it was very evident that even if the boatmen 
were obeying and were steadily poling the cayuca 
up this unfrequented stream, yet they were doing 
so most reluctantly and were actually quaking 
with terror. Each time, as they approached a 
bend of the river, they proceeded slowly, keeping 
the canoe close to shore and craning their necks 
to peer around tfe point. They spoke no word 
and took care not to rattle their poles against the 
sides of the boat and once or twice, when some bird 
or lizard scuttled off among the bushes, they 
started so violently that they tipped the cayuca. 
Despite Dr. Woodward’s jeers and commands, and 
his constant urging, the canoe proceeded very 
slowly, for the men had no heart in their work and, 
had a canoe or an Indian suddenly appeared, they 
would have been absolutely panic stricken. But 
there was no sign of either canoes or Indians and 
when, in the afternoon, they reached a spot where 
there was a little open glade among the trees. Dr. 
Woodward decided to make camp, remarking to 
the boys, that unless he found the Indians by 


134 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


noon the next day he would abandon the search 
and turn back. 

Although the men seemed relieved to find they 
were not compelled to go farther up the stream, 
yet they were very nervous as they went about 
preparations for camping, always keeping close to- 
gether, speaking in low tones and constantly cast- 
ing glances into the surrounding jungle. 

“They look as if they expected to see a ghost,” 
laughed Fred as the two boys took their guns and 
prepared to start into the woods. 

“They’re as likely to see that as anything,” 
commented his uncle as the two shouldered their 
guns. “Good luck, boys; bring in some game. 
Fresh meat will be welcome.” 

But neither the boys nor Dr. Woodward noticed 
that Jose and Pedro had stopped work and were 
staring, open-mouthed, at the departing boys. 

“Madre de Dios!” muttered Jose beneath his 
breath. “Have they no thought of life?” 

“Fools of Gringoes,” mumbled Pedro. “Let 
them learn to their sorrow!” Then, hastily 
crossing themselves, the two men went on with 
their work, but constantly edging farther and 
farther from the surrounding forest as they did so. 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 135 


Presently, from the direction the boys had gone, 
came a shout : “ Oh, Dad ! ” called Harry. “Here’s 
a trail. Perhaps it leads to the Indians.” 

“All right, wait a moment,” shouted his father, 
and hastily tucking his notebook into his pocket 
he hurried towards them. 

“See, here ’tis,” announced Harry as Dr. 
Woodward approached. As he spoke he in- 
dicated a well marked pathway leading off among 
the trees. 

“Jove, it does look like a trail,” his father ad- 
mitted, as he examined the worn and cleared track 
winding among the trees and bushes. “Yes, and 
recently used, too,” he continued. “It’s too large 
for a game trail and, — yes, — the bushes have been 
cut here, not broken. It’s an Indian trail all right. 
Come along, boys, you may be right.” 

But they had proceeded only a few rods along 
the path when a frightened yell from the rear 
brought them to an abrupt halt. For an instant 
they listened and then, once more, there was a 
shout, the faint sound of angry voices and the 
noise of a blow on wood. 

“Gosh, that was Claudio’s voice!” cried Harry 
excitedly, as with one accord, the three turned and 


136 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


dashed towards the river. “ Golly, I wonder what^s 
the matter!” 

A moment later, they burst from the jungle and 
stopped short, staring dumbfounded, in wide-eyed 
amazement. There was not a human being in 
sight, the three men had vanished, the canoe had 
disappeared ! 

Before they could overcome their astonishment, 
before they could find voice, a cry rang through the 
silent forest from down stream: “Dis mans run 

off! He mek me ” Claudio’s voice ended in 

a smothered gasp. 

For the first time the boys had ever heard him. 
Dr. Woodward swore. “ Deserted ! ” he exclaimed. 
“Marooned! The miserable, treacherous hounds! 
Ran off as soon as our backs were turned and” — 
here he glanced at the half made camp — “con- 
found the cowardly rascals, with all our stuff as 
well!” 

“And with my jaguar skin, too!” cried Harry. 
“Gee Whittaker, Dad, what are we going to do? 
Say, this is an adventure!” 

“Adventure ! ” snorted his father. “ It’s a tragedy. 
No use in not facing the truth. We’re marooned in 
the jungle; without a boat, without supplies, with- 


MAROONED IN THE JUNGLE 137 


out food. Only the clothes on our backs and your 
guns and what ammunition you have stand be- 
tween us and death. I don’t want to frighten you, 
boys, but I do want you to understand how serious 
this matter is. There’s only one good fighting 
chance for us and that is to find an Indian village. 

Perhaps, if we follow that trail ” 

As his uncle was speaking Fred heard a slight 
sound behind him and instinctively turned. And 
at the sight which met his eyes, a cold sweat broke 
out upon him, he shook as with a chill, his jaw 
dropped, he could feel the hair rising on his head, 
his throat felt as though gripped by a steel band 
and his tongue seemed paralyzed. Then, with a 
mighty effort, he uttered one choking, terror- 
stricken cry and staggered back, white, faint and 
gasping. 


CHAPTER IX 

PRISONERS 

At Fred’s cry the others wheeled about, and 
instantly, they' too were paralyzed with horror. 
Peering at them from the forest, drawn bow and 
poised arrow in hand, was a figure so terrifying, 
so hideous that it seemed a fiend incarnate rather 
than a human being. 

Naked to the waist, masses of blue-black hair 
piled in a great knob upon his head and falling to 
his waist, his skin dyed inky black and with great 
patches of vivid yellow about eyes, mouth and 
nose, the apparition was enough to strike fear into 
the stoutest heart. Silently, motionless as the for- 
est trees about him, he stood there; fierce eyes fixed 
upon the three Americans; gleaming teeth showing 
between thin, cruel lips, — a demoniacal, threaten- 
ing, indescribably savage figure. Each second the 
138 


PRISONERS 


139 


three expected the taut drawn bow to be released, 
to feel the cruel barb of the arrow bury itself in 
their flesh, for that they were doomed they never 
doubted. 

“My God!” groaned Dr. Woodward. “The 
men were right! To think I’ve brought you boys 
to this!” 

“ Per-perhaps — ” stammered Fred. Then — “Oh ! 
Oh!” he almost sobbed. “There’s another!” 

Harry and his father turned. Behind them, 
crouched at the edge of the open space, was an 
even more horrible figure, — sky-blue from head to 
foot, eyes and mouth encircled by white and with 
gleaming golden bands upon his arms. And as Dr. 
Woodward glimpsed the weapon in his hands he 
groaned again. In place of bow and arrow the 
figure held a blowgun to his lips ready, with a single 
puff of his breath, to speed the venomed dart whose 
slightest scratch meant almost instant death. 

And that was not all. There was a rustle in the 
undergrowth and from their hiding places two more 
of the painted, long-haired, fearsome savages ap- 
peared. They were surrounded, helpless, the slight- 
est movement to resist or to escape would mean 
instant death! Taken completely by surprise. 


140 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


suddenly confronted by the savages he had scoffed 
at, all his preconceived ideas destroyed in an in- 
stant and already terribly upset by the desertion of 
his men, Dr. Woodward had been stunned, over- 
come; completely at a loss, at finding himself and 
the boys surrounded by these obviously savage 
Indians, — in deadly peril at the hands of the wild 
Kunas whose existence he had so vehemently 
denied. But while it seemed hours to the three, 
it was only a matter of fieeting seconds from the 
time Fred had first seen the black Indian until 
Dr. Woodward recovered from his temporary 
stupefaction. He had traveled and lived much 
among Indians, both in the United States, in 
Mexico and in South America, he knew that in all 
probability the savages would not kill them if they 
did not attempt to resist, that if immediate death 
had been intended the Kunas could easily have 
killed them without exposing themselves and that, 
doubtless the Indians had been watching them 
ever since they had landed, or even before. Hence, 
although a thought swiftly crossed his mind that 
perhaps death might be better than the fate in 
store for them, and he shuddered at the thought, 
yet, while there was life there was a fighting 


PRISONERS 


141 


chance for all Indians respected bravery and the 
peace sign was almost universally understood. So, 
with a whispered word of reassurance to the boys, 
he raised his right hand with the palm outward 
and spoke slowly in Spanish to the Indians. 

For a moment there was no response. Then, one 
of the four spoke in low guttural tones to his com- 
panions, and followed by the others, moved for- 
ward and approached the two boys and Dr. 
Woodward. Then, uttering the one word: “Ven- 
ga” (come), he nodded towards the forest and 
with one of his fellows at his heels strode towards 
the trail. There was nothing to do but obey and 
so, after the Indians, walked the three Americans 
while, in the rear, stalked the two remaining 
savages, — they were prisoners of the wild Kunas. 
But the strain of the last few moments had been 
terrific, the boys’ nerves had been almost at the 
breaking point and the sudden reaction, the relief 
at moving, was almost too much for them. Fred 
suddenly gave an almost hysterical laugh. “We 
don’t know where we’re going, but we’re on our 
way ! ” he burst out. 

Instantly, the leading Indian wheeled, scowled 
at him for an instant and then, as Fred’s uncon- 


142 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


trollable laughter continued, a broad grin spread 
slowly across his features, making him more hide- 
ous than ever. 

“ Jiminy isn’t he the ugliest thing ! ” cried Harry, 
commencing to giggle also. Then, as the Kuna 
once more started forward. “Say, Fred,” he 
exclaimed. “We’re getting all the adventure 
that’s coming our way.” 

Dr. Woodward shook his head and his face was 
lined with worry. “Don’t joke about it, Harry,” 
he begged, soberly. “It may be very serious. I’m 
terribly worried over you boys. Had I ever 
dreamed ” 

“Oh, don’t worry. Dad,” interrupted Harry. 
“These chaps may not harm us, — they haven’t 
yet and” — a bit banteringly — “you said there 
wasn’t any danger from the Indians, you know.” 

“And they’ve not taken our guns away,” put 
in Fred before his uncle could speak. “That looks 
good to me.” 

“Yes, I hadn’t thought of that,” admitted Dr. 
W^oodward. “Strange they did not. Well, let us 
hope for the best. I presume they’re taking us to 
their village.” 

“Bully!” ejaculated Harry. “Then you can 


PRISONERS 


143 


have your wish and see the wild Kunas at home 
and maybe they’ll know about the old radium god. 
Say, I’ll bet we’re really in luck after all.” 

His father smiled at the boys’ irresponsible en- 
thusiasm. “Even if they did we wouldn’t know 
it,” he reminded Harry. “The cast of the idol 
was in my bag in the canoe.” 

“Oh, darn!” exclaimed Harry. “Isn’t that 
tough ! ” 

While they had been speaking, they had been 
passing rapidly through the forest, constantly as- 
cending rising ground, but now, they commenced 
to descend a steep slope and presently came to the 
banks of a small stream. Pulled upon the pebbly 
beach was a narrow, sharp-prowed cayuca and 
in broken Spanish the leader of the Indians or- 
dered his captives to embark. Then, shoving off 
the canoe, the Kunas paddled swiftly up the 
stream. 

“Isn’t it kind of funny that fellow talks Spanish, 
if they’re so wild?” remarked Harry, presently. 

“So it struck me,” affirmed his father. “I’ve 
been thinking deeply on the whole mysterious 
affair and it’s occurred to me that there may be 
both truth and fiction in those stories we’ve heard. 


144 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Possibly these people do keep strangers out of 
their district and yet the tales of their savagery 
may be imaginary. In that case, we are not in 
very great peril — probably we’ll merely be de- 
ported. Perhaps, even now, they’re taking us out 
of their country.” 

“Well, I don’t see how that accounts for their 
speaking Spanish,” objected Harry, meditatively. 
“And they looked mighty savage when we first 
saw them. Uugh! They give me the shivers, 
now!” 

“They may have picked up a few Spanish words 
and phrases in ^ny one of several ways,” explained 
Dr. Woodward. “Perhaps from other Indians or 
from some native they captured, or, for all we 
know, they may even visit the settlements. But 
it’s all theorizing, — I admit I’m absolutely in the 
dark and completely puzzled.” 

“Well, you’ve got to admit there are wild 
Kunas,” maintained Fred. 

“Yes, I’m the goat,” assented his uncle with the 
flicker of a smile. “I’ll never question the wildest 
yarns of a strange country again.” 

“Not even the lost city?” queried Harry, mis- 
chievously. 


PRISONERS 


145 


“Not even the lost city,” promised his father. 
“After being captured by these Indians nothing 
can surprise me.” 

“And to think we’re only about a hundred miles 
from the Tivoli Hotel!” exclaimed Fred. “It 
doesn’t seem possible, — it’s like a dream.” 

“More like a nightmare,” suggested Dr. Wood- 
ward. “I only wish it were.” 

A sudden idea came to Harry. “Say, Dad,” 
he whispered. “Why can’t we get away.f^ We 
could shoot these fellows and go down stream with 
the canoe ! Gosh, I hate to think of killing a man, 
— even if he is a savage — but it might save us all. 
Let’s try!” 

His father shook his head. “ There would be one 
chance in a hundred that you might succeed,” he 
said. “But unless you shot all four at the same 
time some of us would pay the penalty. They’re 
taking no chances. If you notice, two of them keep 
their blow-guns ready, — they’re as accurate, and 
as deadly as your rifles at close range — and before 
you could shoot they’d doubtless kill some of us. 
No it’s not use, Harry. Even if you succeeded we 
don’t know where we are and we might run right 
into more of the tribe. Besides, it would be noth- 


10 


146 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


ing less than murder. They have not harmed us 
yet and may have no intention of doing so. No, 
our best plan is to go quietly and hope for the 
best.” 

“Well, I think we ought to be grateful to them,” 
asserted Fred. “They helped us out of a tight 
place. Just when the men deserted us and we were 
marooned, along come these wild men of Borneo 
and carry us off just where we planned and save us 
all the trouble of paddling ourselves. They’ll 
have something to eat at their old village anyhow. 
Say, wouldn’t we make a fortune if we could get 
them to little old New York and put them in a 
side show.^” 

Harry laughed heartily. “I was just thinking 
that black fellow looked like the twin brother 
to the idol,” he declared. “I wonder how they’d 
look if they washed off the paint. Perhaps 
they’re pretty good scouts after all, but Jiminy, 
they would make a sensation walking up Fifth 
Avenue, wouldn’t they.^” 

Dr. Woodward had to laugh at the irrepressible 
care-free good nature of the boys, despite his 
worry. “They’d look very much like the other 
Kunas without their paint,” he observed. “Their 


PRISONERS 


147 


features are very similar and I don’t doubt they 
are all of the same race. I’ve listened to their 
dialect and it seems identical. The tame 
Kunas, as the men called them, are probably 
merely members of the same tribe who have 
become more civilized.” 

The sun was low in the sky, the trees threw long 
black shadows across the stream and the forest 
already was dark. Time and again the Kunas 
swung to right or left, entering some new stream, 
until the three captives were hopelessly confused. 
Then, just as the tropic night fell like a soft, 
black curtain, there was the sharp yelping of dogs 
ahead and, the next moment, the cayuca grated 
on the shore among ten or a dozen other canoes. 

Up from the riverside, the Kunas led the way, 
along a narrow trail through thick brush, to 
emerge upon a small clearing with several large 
houses on the farther side. Towards one of 
these, the Indians marched their prisoners and the 
boys noticed that it was the exact counterpart, 
though slightly smaller, of the house where they 
had stayed among the friendly Kunas. Mounting 
the ladder to the upper floor, the leader ordered 
the three to follow and they found themselves the 


148 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


sole occupants of the big room. There were several 
hammocks and stools about, as well as baskets and 
other utensils, all of which they saw at a glance as 
the place was lit up by the gleam of a blazing torch 
brought by one of the Indians and which left a 
dense, aromatic smoke behind it. Then, to the 
boys’ surprise, their captor lit a lamp, consisting 
of a cotton wick floating on some sort of oil in an 
earthen bowl. 

“Golly, these fellows have all the comforts of 
home, if they are wild,” observed Harry. 

“Well, I hope they consider food one of the com- 
forts,” put in Fred. “I’m just about starved. 
Cricky, I smell something cooking!” 

Meanwhile, the black Kuna had seated himself 
upon a carved stool and the two boys and Dr. 
Woodward threw themselves into the hammocks. 

“He’s not a very entertaining host,” remarked 
Fred, after a few moment’s silence. “I’m going 
to see if he’ll talk.” 

Turning toward the Indian, he spoke to him in 
Spanish and asking if he and the others were to 
get any food. 

The grim flgure made no response and the words 
might have been absolutely unintelligible to him. 


PRISONERS 


149 


as far as could be judged by the wooden expression 
on bis hideous face, but he at once rose, stepped to 
the front of the house and spoke to someone below 
in his rapid, guttural, sing-song dialect. 

“Sounds like a Chinese laundryman jabbering 
about a lost shirt!” laughed Harry. “Say, Dad, 
you told us once the Indians were supposed to 
have come from China or over in Asia somewhere. 
I can believe that, after seeing these Kunas.” 

“They’re the most typically Mongolian redmen 
I’ve ever seen,” affirmed his father. “They look 
like Chinese, they talk like Chinese, their women’s 
costume is distinctly Chinese and many of their 
habits are very similar.” 

“Yes, and those tame chaps wore their shirts 
outside of their trousers like Chinese! ” volunteered 
Fred. “But I hope they don’t eat rats and dogs 
like Chinese!” 

“There wouldn’t be any meat on their dogs to 
eat,” chuckled Harry. “Perhaps they have chop- 
suey, though.” 

“Well, I’m almost hungry enough to eat a dog,” 
declared Fred. “Hello, here comes dinner!” 

As he spoke, a boy of about his own age ap- 
peared at the head of the ladder and carrying a big 


150 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


earthen pot from which steam was rising. Behind 
him was another youth with a broad, open basket 
in which the boys caught a glimpse of bananas, 
oranges and something green. 

“Gee Whittaker, that smells good!” cried Fred, 
jumping from his hammock and sniffing at the 
steaming pot which the Indian had placed in the 
centre of the floor. “But how the Dickens are we 
going to eat.?” 

But at this moment the young Kuna brought 
a number of small calabash bowls and several 
ladles or spoons cleverly made from the same 
gourd-like material, and, keeping his frightened 
eyes fixed on Fred, he pushed the utensils forward 
and with a startled squeal turned and fled down 
the ladder. 

The two boys burst into hearty laughter. “I 
guess he thinks we’re cannibals,” said Harry. 
“Say, look at that. Old Billikins there is laugh- 
ing!” 

His father and Fred turned and glanced at their 
guard. Sure enough, a broad grin covered the face 
of the savage. 

“That’s a good omen,” announced Dr. Wood- 
ward. “ He’s got a sense of humor and humor and 


PRISONERS 


151 


murderous characteristics don’t go together. I 
don’t believe these Kunas are half as black as 
they’re painted.” 

“Well they’d have to be mighty black if they 
were,” declared Harry. “He looks as if he’d been 
carved from a chunk of coal.” 

“And I know they’re mighty good cooks!” 
announced Fred who had been busy helping him- 
self to the contents of the pot. “This stew’s just 
bully.” 

The others thoroughly agreed with him as they 
too sampled the Kunas’ cooking and presently, to 
their unbounded amazement, the Indian rose, and 
approaching them, squatted down and joined in 
the meal. 

Fred was in high good humor. Reaching over, 
he patted the Kuna on his broad muscular back. 
“That’s right!” he exclaimed. “Atta boy!” 

With the quick, alert motion of a lizard the man 
turned his head and fixed his blazing eyes on Fred’s 
face, then, his face broadened in a smile and mutter- 
ing a few words in his own tongue he extended his 
hand and thumped Fred’s shoulders. 

“Hurrah ! ” ejaculated Fred. “He’s all right, — 
good old sport after all.” 


152 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


expect lie thinks that’s our way of saluting,” 
smiled his uncle. 

“Or perhaps he thinks it’s a game,” suggested 
Harry. “Maybe he wants to play tag.” 

But Fred was too busy with his food to reply. 

Nevertheless, while they ate, the boys and Dr. 
Woodward repeatedly addressed remarks or ques- 
tions in Spanish to their savage companion, but all 
to no avail. He merely replied with grunts or 
words in his own tongue until, the meal over, he 
rose and remarked in Spanish that: “Pretty soon 
the chief come.” Then, despite all questions, he 
again relapsed into silence and resumed his old 
place on the stool. But as Dr. Woodward drew 
out his pipe and tobacco pouch, the fellow’s eyes 
followed his every motion and when, noticing this. 
Dr. Woodward handed him the pouch and in Span- 
ish told him to help himself, the Kuna muttered: 

Gracias’* and producing a tiny, highly-decorated 
stone pipe he was soon puffing away with the 
greatest enjoyment. 

Very soon after this, the ladder creaked with the 
weight of someone ascending it, and a short, very 
fat Kuna appeared. Unlike the others that the 
boys had seen, he was not painted, — save for a 


PRISONERS 


153 


broad red and black line down his nose, — he wore 
trousers, a bright-colored rag or kerchief was about 
his neck and on his long, black hair he had an odd 
band of red and white woven cotton with a tassel 
in the rear, and so worn that it gave the effect of 
a jaunty Scotch cap. 

Glancing keenly at the three prisoners, he seated 
himself on a stool and immediately began to speak 
to Dr. Woodward in broken Spanish. He ex- 
plained that he was the chief of the village, stated 
that no strangers were allowed in the Kuna coun- 
try under pain of death and then commenced to 
question, cross examine and grill Dr. Woodward 
until, as the latter afterwards stated, he felt like a 
criminal under fire of a prosecuting attorney. 
Then he wound up by stating that he could not 
decide what the prisoners’ fate was to be by him- 
self, that he had summoned chiefs of other villages 
to confer and pass judgment the next morning and 
that the decision of the tribunal would be final. 

Throughout his harangue. Dr. Woodward no- 
ticed that he was particularly anxious as to whether 
the Americans had entered the country in search 
of gold or rubber and when the scientist assured 
him that they were after neither, but merely had 


154 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


been seeking to study the Indians and their ways, 
the old fellow seemed to soften a bit. In fact, after 
a short conversation with the black fellow in the 
Kuna dialect, he informed Dr. Woodward that as 
their captor had seen nothing which savored of 
prospecting or rubber gathering in the camp, and 
as the boatmen had deserted them and thus left 
them involuntarily in the Kuna country, he per- 
sonally was inclined to believe their story and 
would recommend that neither death nor torture 
should be inflicted upon them. 

“Gee, he is a comforting old chap, isn’t he.^^” 
exclaimed Harry, when the chief left. “He’ll 
recommend we’re not tortured or murdered ! Well, 
I do hope the other chiefs are like him.” 

“I think he’s trying to scare us,” declared Fred. 
‘T don’t believe he nor any of the bunch would 
dare hurt us. They speak Spanish and they know, 
if anything happened, the government would 
punish them, — it isn’t as if they were really wild or 
far from civilization.” 

“I wish I could feel as confident about it,” said 
his uncle earnestly. “But there are so many con- 
tradictory and mystifying things about these 
people that I don’t know what to think or expect. 


PRISONERS 


155 


I don’t believe, however, that they fear either the 
law or the government and I am beginning to think 
that possibly those stories we heard were not so 
greatly exaggerated. You must remember that 
if they do put us out of the way no one could ever 
prove they had any hand in it, — and there would 
not even be any reason for suspecting them.” 

“But the men and Claudio would tell people we 
were in the Kunas’ country” argued Harry. 

His father shook his head negatively, “No,” he 
asserted, “On the contrary, Jose and Pedro would 
be more likely to tell some story of our having been 
drowned or lost in the jungle. Claudio might tell 
of their desertion, but I doubt it. They would prob- 
ably threaten to maroon or kill him if he told.” 

“But these Indians don’t seem so awfully wild,” 
insisted Fred. “Besides speaking Spanish, they 
have clothes and the chief had a machete and over 
in a corner there is an empty tin can. How do they 
get all these things if they never allow any one in 
and never go out.^” 

“I’m sure I don’t know,” declared his uncle. 
“It’s one of the mysteries, but, on the other hand, 
if they know anything about civilization why do 
they let you keep your guns?” 


156 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Search me!” said Harry laconically. “But 
just the same I can’t seem to take them seriously. 
They frightened me almost to death at first I ad- 
mit, but the old chief doesn’t look any scarier 
than the tame Kunas and, somehow, they seem to 
me as if they were just playing wild Indian.” 

“God grant that you are right!” exclaimed his 
father fervently. “We can only hope for the best 
and wait for tomorrow.” 

“Yes, and darn it all, we’ll never know about 
that old idol!” lamented Harry. “If we only 
hadn’t lost it we might have found out. It’s rotten 
luck 1 think.” 

Tired, and with their nerves far more worn with 
their exciting and fearsome experiences than they 
cared to admit, the boys rested in the hammocks, 
almost forgetting the proximity of their wild Kuna 
guard, and for a time all was silent. 

Suddenly Fred burst into half-suppressed 
laughter. 

“What are you laughing at?” demanded his 
uncle. 

“Oh!” chuckled Fred, “I was just thinking 
about the big dinner we ate. It’s like convicts in 
prison eating a fine meal before they’re hung!” 


CHAPTER X 

THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 

Despite the uncertainty of the fate hanging over 
them, the fact that they were prisoners and that a 
savage Indian sat with poisoned arrows within a 
few feet, the boys and Dr. Woodward managed to 
sleep and awoke with the feeling that it was all a 
nightmare. 

But their first glance about assured them of the 
reality of their perilous plight. The black Kuna 
had gone, but, at the head of the ladder, squatted 
one of his fellows equally ferocious and hideous in a 
coating of scarlet and white paint. But somehow, 
though they knew the danger they were in, yet the 
boys could not feel depressed, it was all too unreal. 
In the brilliant morning sun, they could not bring 
themselves to believe that they were in imminent 
peril. Aside from the crouching Indian there was 
no sign of restraint, nothing to show that they were 
157 


158 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


prisoners. They had their guns, they were un- 
fettered, a roomy house and hammocks had been 
provided, they had been well fed and, even now, the 
Indian boy was approaching with a pot of fragrant 
cocoa and a basket tray of fruit and crisp, corn 
tortillas. Boy-like too, they were not given to 
worrying and while they had, in their hearts, had 
faith in all the tales they had heard of the Kunas, — 
although Dr. Woodward had scoffed at them, — yet 
now that they were captives of these wild tribes- 
men they had no fear. They looked upon it as an 
exciting adventure and could not help a feeling 
that it was all some sort of make believe. 

So, as they sipped the cocoa and ate the tortillas 
and delicate fig-bananas, they laughed and chatted 
and joked until even Dr. Woodward lost his pre- 
occupied and serious expression and smiled. 

They had scarcely finished eating when the fat 
chief appeared, accompanied by a tiny, wizened 
old man with such bead-like eyes, stubby nose and 
mane of thick hair that Fred instantly nicknamed 
him the “Marmoset.” And like one of those in- 
quisitive, gentle creatures the old fellow sidled up 
to the boys, peered with a quizzical expression 
into their faces, stretched forth lean, brown fingers. 


THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 159 


— astonishingly like a monkey’s — to touch their 
clothes and then drew his hand sharply back with 
an excited, half-frightened squeal, all the time 
showed his toothless gums in such a good-natured 
grin that the boys shook with laughter. 

“He wouldn’t hurt a flea,” declared Harry. 
“There’s two we can count on. Say, I’ll bet he’s 
as jolly as can be.” 

But the old fellow evidently understood no word 
of Spanish and only grinned the wider and shook 
his head when the boys spoke to him in that 
language. 

Presently another man appeared, a rather sour- 
faced, long-headed young man who, in addition to 
trousers, which appeared to be the distinguishing 
regalia of a Kuna chief, wore an ancient pair of sus- 
penders fastened about his neck back-side flrst, like 
a necklace, and to the frayed bottonholes of which 
were fastened two big discs of hammered gold. 

This unique ornament brought tears of amuse- 
ment to the boys’ eyes, despite their frantic efforts 
to control their merriment, for Dr. Woodward, in 
severe tones, warned them to be sober and serious 
as laughter might offend the Kunas and bring dire 
results. 


160 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


The three chiefs seated themselves gravely on 
stools, conversing in short disjointed sentences and 
evidently waiting for some one or something. At 
last he appeared, a huge powerfully built Indian 
with broad Mongolian face, small bloodshot eyes 
and sneering lips and with such an expression of 
cruelty, malice and arrogance upon his face that 
the boys actually shivered as they looked at 
him. 

“He’d vote to have us killed!” whispered Fred. 

“More likely to want us tortured, — I’ll bet he’d 
like to slice off the soles of our feet himself,” 
suggested Harry. 

As soon as the fellow arrived, he began a loud- 
voiced harangue, pointing at the boys and Dr. 
Woodward, talking excitedly and while the three 
prisoners could not understand a word of what he 
was saying, they were sure, from his tones and 
gestures, that it was anything but favorable to 
them. Suddenly he sprang forward, seized the 
boys’ guns and with a dramatic gesture tossed 
them into a corner beyond the assembled chiefs, 
and burst into a perfect tirade. 

So savage was his manner, so angry and bitter 
his tones and so bestially cruel his face that all the 


THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 161 


boys’ confidence and light heartedness vanished 
and they fairly cowered beside Dr. Woodward, 
fearful lest the hulking Kuna would attack them at 
any moment. 

As he talked, the other chiefs listened atten- 
tively, only making the odd hissing sound and 
exclaiming “Ah — ee — ah — oo!” at the close of 
each of his sentences, exactly as had the tame 
Kunas, until at last, with a final savage exclama- 
tion, the fellow ceased and stood glowering at the 
prisoners. Then, the chief who had first visited 
them, began to speak, and from his even tones, his 
gestures and his expression the captives knew he 
was pleading their cause and was trying to mollify 
the big fellow. As he ended, the little “Marmo- 
set” chief began in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, 
jerking his head from side to side, shaking his 
coarse, mane-like hair, keeping his thin brown 
hands constantly in motion and getting so worked 
up that he danced about as if pulled by strings. 
He was so utterly comical that the boys could not 
resist smiling, desperate as was their plight, and 
they felt sure that he also was in their favor. At 
the end of his oration the fellow with the suspender 
necklace started in. He spoke very slowly, stut- 


II 


162 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


tered a great deal and appeared very nervous. 
Sometimes the boys felt sure he was arguing in 
their favor, while again, they thought he was hos- 
tile to them. The other chiefs were apparently 
somewhat in doubt also, for they glanced inquir- 
ingly at him and then at the boys and sometimes 
the big, cruel-faced fellow would grin maliciously 
as though he felt sure he had won a point while, a 
moment later, he would scowl and the little old 
man would nudge the local chief and his mouth 
would widen in a toothless grin. 

“If he’s for us we’re all right,” whispered Harry, 
nervously. “It’ll be three to one then.” 

“And if he’s not, it’s good-bye for us,” affirmed 
Fred trying to steady his voice. 

At this moment, the Kuna finished his harangue 
and for a few minutes the four chiefs conferred in 
low tones, while the boys and Dr. Woodward, with 
fast-beating hearts and breathing hard, waited in 
nerve-racking suspense to hear the verdict. 

Presently the village chief nodded, and calling 
to the red-painted guard, uttered some command. 
The fellow slipped out of sight and an instant 
later reappeared accompanied by two others and 
the two boys started back in terror and cried out 


THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 163 


in alarm as they saw that the men were approach- 
ing them with coils of tough, rope-like vines in 
their hands. They were doomed. They were to 
be seized and. bound. Their fate was sealed and 
swiftly through their horror-stricken minds flashed 
thoughts of slow torture and awful death. It 
seemed incredible, impossible, unreal, like some 
awful nightmare from which they would awaken 
with a scream. They could not believe that this 
was to be their end, that here in this jungle village 
of the Indians they were to be put to death, never 
to see the outside world again, never to see home 
or friends or parents more. It was all too horrible, 
too overwhelming, and yet their fear-benumbed 
senses knew it was true, that in another moment 
they would be seized, bound and helpless. And 
then, just as the men reached forth and seized 
their arms and the boys’ senses reeled, the village 
ruler spoke and new life and hope rushed over 
them. For the chief, in a few words, told them 
they were not to be harmed, that they were to be 
bound, blindfolded and taken from the district and 
set free. The hulking, cruel savage had been over- 
ruled! So great was the relief, so sudden the 
reaction, that the boys felt Hmp and weak, their 


164 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


knees shook, their heads swam and Fred sank 
almost fainting to the floor. 

Before they could recover or even speak, two of 
the naked, painted Indians were busy lashing their 
feet together and binding their arms, while Dr. 
Woodward, being trussed up by the third Kuna 
warrior, was uttering words of comfort and en- 
couragement. 

Then, as the Indian bending over Fred turned his 
victim over, there was a little tinkling sound and 
from the boy’s pocket the little vial of gold dust 
dropped upon the floor. 

Instantly, with a savage snarl, the big chief 
sprang forward, seized the bottle and with a 
malicious, triumphant grin showed it to his com- 
panions. 

“My God!” groaned Dr. Woodward. “That 
seals our fate. Nothing can save us now.” 

At the first sight of the gold, a swift change swept 
over the faces of the Kuna chiefs; their eyes 
gleamed; their mouths became set in hard lines; 
scowls wrinkled their brows and even the kindly- 
faced little, old fellow glowered at the prisoners, 
with anger and hatred written on his features. Too 
terror-stricken to move or even utter a sound. 


THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 165 

realizing that the discovery would drive the In- 
dians to extremes, that to them the presence of the 
bottle of gold would mean their prisoners had lied 
and were really gold seekers, that vengeance swift 
and sure would follow, the boys lay, bound fast, 
paralyzed with fear. 

Then, with a savage snarl, the giant Kuna 
whipped a glittering knife from his belt and with 
fiendish leer bent above his helpless victims. 
Gasping for breath the boys closed their eyes, 
shuddering at sight of the uplifted knife, for now 
they knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the 
end had come. But the next instant they shrieked 
aloud in a very paroxysm of horror and their eyes 
seemed bursting from their sockets. The Indians 
were stripping off their boots, they were not to 
meet death swiftly and painlessly. All the blood- 
curdling tales of the savages came back to them. 
The Kunas were about to slice the soles from their 
captives’ feet! 

If they could only faint, could only lose con- 
sciousness and thus cheat the human fiends from 
gloating over their writhings and struggles at the 
torture. But merciful oblivion would not come to 
them. Maddening fear was too great, they had 


166 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


gone beyond the fainting point. They could hear 
the hard breathing, the despairing sighs of Dr. 
Woodward, the sound of his gritting teeth and as 
from a vast distance came his muttered: “Be 
brave boys! Be brave! Show them the stuff 
you’re made of! Don’t forget — ” 

The boys’ boots were off, their feet were bare. 
Roughly the gloating Kuna seized Fred’s ankle. 
A piercing, blood-curdling scream came from the 
boy’s lips, and, as if in reply, a shout sounded from 
the direction of the river. 

A surprised exclamation rose from the Indians 
and dropping Fred’s foot the big savage sprang 
upright and glared towards the sound. Then came 
the noise of footsteps, the creaking of the ladder 
and as the boys, wild-eyed, nauseated with fear, 
weak as babies from fright, saw the approaching 
figure they could scarcely credit their senses. The 
new arrival was the chief of the tame Kunas in 
whose home they had stopped! 

With a look of wonderment the man glanced 
about. Pointing to the bound Americans, he spoke 
rapidly to the village chief, and as the big savage 
with the knife again started towards the boys, he 
seized the fellow by the shoulder and flung him 


THE BOYS LEARN THEHl FATE 167 


roughly aside. For a moment the others hesitated. 
Then a look of incredulous wonderment spread 
over their faces ; the muttering, glaring fellow who 
had so rudely been balked in his purpose, slowly 
sheathed his knife; the three warriors sprang for- 
ward and the next moment the dazed, puzzled, 
uncomprehending captives found themselves once 
more free. 

Dr. Woodward was the first to recover from the 
stupefaction at this sudden and totally unexpected 
turn in events. Seizing the chief’s hand he poured 
out his thanks for their deliverance with tears in 
his eyes, while the two boys, now that the awful 
tension was over, were too weak and exhausted to 
move, but lay panting for breath and speechless. 
Why the arrival of the tame Kuna chief should 
have won their deliverance, or what he had said 
to his wild tribesmen to cause such a change in 
their attitude and plans, neither Dr. Woodward or 
the boys could surmise and, at the time, it did not 
even occur to them to wonder at it. It was enough 
that they had escaped torture and death by a hair’s 
breadth, and to them the yellow-skinned old 
Indian was the noblest and most heroic figure in 
the world. 


168 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Now, he was speaking to Dr. Woodward in 
Spanish while the other Kunas stood about, listen- 
ing intently and with their eyes fixed half -fearfully, 
and half-doubtfully upon the Americans. And as 
the boys slowly recovered their wits and the mean- 
ing of his words came to them, their hearts sank 
once more and over Dr. Woodward’s face had come 
a hopeless serious expression that foreboded 
trouble. The Kuna was demanding that Dr. 
Woodward should produce the mysterious god and 
thus prove the truth of his own words to the other 
chiefs. Instantly at this. Dr. Woodward realized 
why he and the boys had been spared, why they 
had been released and why the strange expression 
of wonder and fear had swept over the Kunas’ 
features, and even the boys had some glimmering 
of the truth. The Kunas did recognize the god, the 
idol held some great, far-reaching, impressive sig- 
nificance; those who possessed it were under its 
protection and not to be injured and to this fact 
alone the three captives owed their lives. But 
the god was gone. They could not produce it, 
and if they failed the Kunas would once more fall 
upon them and their fate would be even worse. 
Rapidly these thoughts surged through Dr. Wood- 


THE BOYS LEARN THEHl FATE 169 


ward’s brain while the friendly Kuna spoke. What 
should he do.^ What could he do? If he tried to 
explain the god had been lost, that it had been 
taken by the deserting men, would the Indians 
believe him? And if they did, would it help 
matters? Would they not, with primitive sim- 
plicity, reason that the fact that the idol had left 
the white men proved the god’s displeasure and 
his wish to have the captives destroyed? And yet, 
on the other hand, if he refused to produce the 
image, if he tried to make excuses, it would be 
equally futile. They were in a terrible predica- 
ment and it seemed as if they had been released 
merely to prolong their torment. 

The chief ceased speaking, he waited expectantly 
for the idol to be brought forth and then, a sudden 
look of relief flashed into Dr. Woodward’s eyes, 
his lips parted in a faint smile and reaching in his 
pocket he drew out his note book. With a sharp, 
indrawn whistling sound of intense wonder the 
four Kuna chiefs pressed close, staring with 
wondering eyes and tense faces at the white man. 
What magic was he about to perform? They had 
been told he would show them the god of all gods, 
the talisman that had saved their captives’ lives 


170 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


and now he held but a thin package in his hands. 
Had he, by some witchcraft, transformed the idol 
to this or imprisoned it within Their breaths 
came hard and as the thought of witchcraft crossed 
their minds they drew a step back in fear. The 
boys too were watching, almost as breathless and 
excited as the Kunas. What was Dr. Woodward 
about to do? They knew he could not produce the 
idol, but they felt sure he had some scheme in 
mind. Would it work? Their lives hung as by a 
thread upon the result. And then, as Dr. Wood- 
ward opened the pages of his note book and lifted 
out a square manila envelope, they knew, and a 
great wave of hope surged through them. 

Opening the envelope, the scientist drew out a 
photograph, a clear, sharp print in black and white 
of the radium god. 

For a moment, as he held it up that all might 
see, there was a tense silence, not a word was 
spoken, not a sound uttered. Then, with one ac- 
cord, the Kunas with a low, wailing sigh threw 
themselves upon the floor and even the friendly 
chieftain uttered a frightened, startled exclama- 
tion. The magic had been wrought! The white 
man had imprisoned the god within a square paper! 


THE BOYS LEARN THEm FATE 171 


He was a miglity medicine man, — a witch-doctor — a 
conqueror of the gods ! And they trembled to think 
that they had been about to destroy him and his 
friends, to torture them, and, grovelling before 
the white man, they mumbled thanks to their good 
spirits that fate, in the shape of their tame tribes- 
man, had intervened; that they had been saved 
from the dire calamities which might have be- 
fallen had they carried out their purpose. 

The day was won. No longer need the captives 
fear death or torture. From prisoners awaiting 
the vengeance of the savages they had been trans- 
formed to honored guests who were akin to gods, — 
beings to be reverenced. 

At last the Kunas raised their heads and glanced 
furtively at Dr. Woodward, as if half expecting 
to see him transformed bodily into the misshapen 
god and then, with a frightened squeak, the little, 
old chief scuttled across the floor like his monkey 
namesake. He seized the guns, and chattering as 
unintelligibly as a real marmoset, he handed the 
weapons to the boys and with a single bound 
gained the ladder and disappeared. So comical 
were his actions, so thoroughly did his manner 
reveal his fear at his own temerity, that the boys, 


172 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


despite the strain they had been through and their 
still trembling nerves, laughed outright. “Wasn’t 
that funny!” exclaimed Harry. “He acted as if 
he thought we’d bite him ! ” 

Hardly had he disappeared when the fellow with 
the suspender-necklace began backing off, stutter- 
ing and gesticulating in a manner which led the 
boys to assume he was protesting his innocence in 
all desire to injure them. Only the friendly, tame 
Kuna, the village chief and the big fellow who had 
been on the point of carving Fred’s feet when so 
opportunely interrupted, now remained. For a 
moment the latter stood, glowering at the boys 
and their companion, an expression of incredulity, 
malice and intense cunning on his repulsive face. 
Then, tossing the vial of gold into the hammock 
beside the boys, he stalked towards the ladder, and 
as he reached it he turned and shot such a savage, 
piercing glance of intense hatred at the Americans 
that the boys shuddered and grew pale. 

“Whew!” ejaculated Fred. “That fellow’s 
looks made my blood run cold!” 

“He doesn’t have much faith in the god,” 
stated Harry in positive tones. “He’s ugly as sin 
because he couldn’t torture us.” 


THE BOYS LEARN THEIR FATE 173 


“I’m afraid you’re right, Harry,” agreed his 
father. “He’s no friend of ours, — a fanatical 
savage. He’s an enemy to be feared. We must 
look out for him.” 


CHAPTER XI 

THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 

Their frightful experiences of the morning had 
been a terrific strain on the two boys and Dr. 
Woodward, and they were thankful for an oppor- 
tunity to rest and lie undisturbed in the 
hammocks. The painted warrior guard had dis- 
appeared, the two chiefs had slipped away, and 
aside from the boy who brought their meals — 
and who almost crawled to them with their food — 
they were left alone until afternoon. 

Then the village chief and the tame Kuna 
appeared and as the latter bade them good-bye 
he grinned amiably and the boys insisted that he 
winked knowingly. 

“I don’t believe he really believes in the old 
god, ” declared Harry. 

“Well, he believes in helping his friends, any- 
174 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 175 


way,” affirmed Fred. “It was mighty lucky for 
us he came along. ” 

“Yes, and he says it was purely accidental,” 
his uncle informed them. “He had no idea we 
were here. But, as Harry says, I’m inclined to 
think he played the idol idea to the limit to save 
us, and as long as he succeeded it doesn’t make 
much difference whether he believes in the god or 
not.” 

The village ruler hung about, apparently wish- 
ing to show his attentions and respect, but as his 
Spanish was very limited and neither Dr. Wood- 
ward nor the boys felt in a conversational mood 
he at last withdrew. 

By evening the boys felt quite themselves again, 
but they slept little that night. No sooner would 
they doze off than they would awaken with a 
start, shaking and chilly from vivid dreams in 
which they lived over the fearful hours of the 
forenoon, and Fred became so feverish and hysteri- 
cal that his uncle was terribly worried. But with 
the bright morning sun he improved rapidly and 
the boys’ spirits revived, their strong, healthy con- 
stitutions asserted themselves and they chatted 
and joked as merrily and light-heartedly as ever. 


176 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


There was no restraint placed upon them and 
they wandered at will about the village, but they 
noticed that, wherever they went, the Kuna 
warrior who had been painted black when they 
had first seen him, but had now doffed his pigment 
covering and appeared in his normal yellow skin, 
always seemed to be hanging about. He made no 
attempt to interfere with their movements and 
usually kept at some distance, but the boys felt 
that he was constantly watching them. 

“I’d like to know what he’s following us about 
for,” remarked Fred. 

“I guess he’s just afraid we might get into 
trouble or wander off and get lost,” suggested 
Harry. “You know I think he just wants to be 
friendly.” 

“Maybe that’s it,” agreed the other. “And 
besides, he speaks a little Spanish. Perhaps he 
thinks we might want to have him act as inter- 
preter.” 

But when the boys tried to make overtures and 
spoke to him, the Kuna merely shook his head, 
grinned foolishly and kept his distance. 

Gradually, however, he overcame his shyness 
or fear or whatever it was and would now 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 177 


and then utter a few Spanish words or phrases 
in reply to the boys’ questions and, by the second 
day, he kept close to their side as they went 
about. 

Dr. Woodward in the meantime was making 
the most of his opportunity to study the strange 
people and while his appearance invariably threw 
the Indians, and especially the women, into a near 
panic, yet none interfered with him. 

“I’d give almost anything to have the camera 
here,” he declared to the boys. “I shall never 
have such an opportunity again. ” 

“Well, have you found out anything about the 
god.f^” asked Harry. “Gosh, for all we know it 
may have come from this very village, and maybe 
the radium stuff is right near here. ” 

“I’ve questioned the chief,” replied his father. 
“At least, I’ve done all I dared without showing 
my own ignorance of the idol, which would be 
very unwise, and he seems very loth to talk 
about it. From things he has said, however, I feel 
convinced that it is a god which the Kunas fear 
rather than worship. I have searched diligently 
in every house and haven’t found a sign of an idol 
even remotely resembling it. In fact, I’m be- 


12 


178 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


ginning to think it is not an idol of this tribe at 
all.” 

“Then how can you account for them knowing 
about it and being afraid of it.^” queried Fred. 

“ That’s the puzzle, ” aflSrmed his uncle. “ Possi- 
bly it’s the god of some race they fear, — some far 
more powerful or warlike race, for these people are 
not really warlike, — or again, it may be an in- 
herited fear, — a sort of superstition — handed down 
from the distant past when such a god was used 
by the ancestors of the Kunas. Finally, it is not 
impossible that it is merely its hideous form which 
impressed them, — and that their inborn feeling 
that any particularly repulsive image is an evil 
god — worked upon by that tame Kuna chief. 
You remember even the Chokois said they were 
sure it was a very evil god. ” 

“Well if it’s not here let’s get away,” suggested 
Harry. “We’ve seen everything there is and every 
time I think of that big fellow with the knife I get 
cold shivers. ” 

“And I get cold feet,” put in Fred. “Gee 
Whittaker, I just feel faint every time I think of 
him holding my feet and waving that knife around.” 

“I’ll ask the chief about taking us out,” Dr. 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 179 

Woodward assured them. “I didn’t stop to 
realize how uneasy and nervous you boys must 
feel.” 

“Oh, we’re not nervous, ” declared Fred, stoutly. 
“All the people seem friendly and old Sambo — 
that’s what we call the fellow that caught us, you 
know — says the big fellow’s village is four hours’ 
walk away.” 

“And we’d like to get on the trail of the old idol 
again,” added Harry. “If we only had more 
cartridges we could go hunting. ’ ’ 

“You should go anyway,” said his father en- 
couragingly. “Now that we’ll soon be getting 
away from here and have plenty of food there’s no 
need of being afraid of using ammunition. ” 

“That’ll be bully,” declared Fred. “Say, 
Harry, let’s go first thing in the morning. I’ll bet 
Sambo’s a good hunter. We’ll take him along 
too.” 

At first the Kuna seemed unable to grasp the 
boys’ meaning when they suggested a hunt, but 
even during their short stay among the Indians 
they had learned that a sign language, — no 
matter how crude, — will often serve its purpose, 
and finally, between gestures and simple Spanish 


180 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


words, they made themselves clear and the Kuna 
nodded his head in acquiescence. 

Accordingly, they set out at daybreak the 
following morning, accompanied by the man they 
had nicknamed Sambo and who carried his bow 
and arrows. It was but a step from the village 
into the forest, except where the Kunas had cleared 
the land and had planted their crops, and before 
they had been gone an hour they had secured two 
fat peccaries. The boys had noticed no signs of 
firearms in the village and they had half expected 
to see their companion exhibit terror, or at least 
surprise, at the sound of their gunshots. But in 
this they were disappointed. He did not even 
jump and as the peccaries fell he dashed forward 
to pick them up. Then, as he turned the first one 
over, a look of amazement crossed his face, he 
glanced at the boys, stared at their guns and then 
at the dead peccary, jabbering excitedly. For 
some time the boys could not understand why 
he was so surprised at finding their guns had killed 
the beasts as long as he had shown no surprise at 
the reports, but at last, by dint of questioning, 
making innumerable signs with their hands and 
their own keen intuition, they understood and 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 181 

both laughed heartily. They were using small 
calibre, high-power rifles and soft-nosed bullets 
and the Indian could not understand how a tiny 
rifle ball could leave such a huge wound. 

But when Harry carried his interrogations a 
step farther and asked the man how he knew any- 
thing about guns, he promptly became non- 
committal, and shouldering the peccaries, started 
off through the forest. There was no need of more 
game, the boys did not want to waste cartridges 
needlessly and so they turned back towards the 
village. 

As they were telling Dr. Woodward of their 
success, they heard a commotion outside and 
looking from the open end of their house, saw their 
hunting companion exhibiting the wounds in the 
peccaries to a crowd of excited, rapidly chattering 
friends. 

Presently, the chief arrived and immediately 
began to question the boys about their guns, ex- 
amining the shells, squinting into the barrels and 
shaking his head as if utterly at a loss to under- 
stand how such tiny bullets could do so much 
damage. 

‘T guess he thought they were just toys — sort 


182 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


of pop-guns or something — and that’s why he 
didn’t take them away at first, ” said Harry. 

“More likely they never saw guns before,” 
suggested Fred. 

But in this he was mistaken, for the chief who 
had left them, now returned carrying an ancient, 
muzzle-loading shot-gun so battered and rusty 
that it looked as if it had been salvaged from some 
long-sunken wreck. Proudly displaying this to 
the boys, he explained that he had killed many 
birds and animals with it, but that he preferred 
the bow and arrow as the gun made too much 
noise and ammunition was hard to get, and he 
wound up by asking the boys if they would not 
fix his weapon to shoot like theirs. 

“Gosh!” exclaimed Harry. “The old chap 
thinks we can do anything after father showed 
that picture. Say, what are we going to do.^ ” 

“Leave it to me, Harry,” replied his father. 

Then, addressing the chief. Dr. Woodward very 
gravely told the Kuna that the magic which could 
transform the old gun to a rifie had been carried 
off by the boatmen, but that when he and the 
boys left they would give him one of the magic 
guns. 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 183 


This seemed to thoroughly satisfy the chief and 
he rather hesitatingly asked the boys to shoot at 
something that he might witness the power of 
their magic. Glancing about, the boys saw an old 
discarded stool lying on the ground a short dis- 
tance away and Harry fired at it. At the report, 
and as splinters fiew from the target, the chief 
raced down the ladder, and followed by a group 
of men who had been attracted by the rifle shot, 
he rushed forward and picked up the stool. As he 
saw the tiny bullet hole in the wood and then, 
turning the stool about, saw the big splintered 
and shattered opening where the bullet had 
emerged, he dropped the object as if it had been 
hot and a shout of incredulous astonishment went 
up from him and his friends. 

Chattering, gesticulating and exclaiming, the 
Kunas bent over the stool, examining the hole, 
until at last, the chief picked it up very gingerly 
and bringing it to the house placed it carefully in 
one corner as though it were a most precious thing. 

“Golly, I never would have thought a little 
thing like that would impress them so,” cried 
Harry. “They sure think we’re some pumpkins 
now!” 


184 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“I’ll bet if we just pointed our guns at them 
they’d all run, ” laughed Fred. 

“It’s not so very surprising,” commented Dr. 
Woodward. “The power of the modern rifle and 
soft-pointed bullets doesn’t impress you boys 
because you’re accustomed to such things; but to 
people who use bows and arrows or old-fashioned 
shot-guns it appears miraculous, especially as 
primitive man invariably considers anything he 
cannot understand as supernatural.” 

“Yes, I suppose that’s so,” said Harry thought- 
fully. “But just the same I wish we’d known it 
before. We might have saved ourselves all that 
trouble and danger just by shooting a few holes 
in things at first. ” 

However, the boys soon found that the success 
of their exhibition had let them in for more than 
they had bargained for. The old chief, having 
witnessed one demonstration, wanted to see more 
and with childlike glee he pointed to one object 
after another, begging the boys to shoot. But they 
hesitated, they had no ammunition to waste and 
Dr. Woodward cautioned them to be careful and 
not overdo the matter. 

“Don’t let it become an everyday affair,” he 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 185 


advised them. ‘Tf they become accustomed to it, 
it will no longer impress them. Make them think 
it’s a great favor and a condescension on your 
part.” 

So, acting on his suggestion, the boys refrained 
from shooting, until a big wood ibis came flapping 
up the river and alighted upon a projecting ledge 
or outcrop of rock across the stream. Fairly 
dancing with excitement and enthusiasm, the chief 
begged them to shoot, so, thinking to make this 
the final object lesson, Fred took careful aim and 
fired. 

As the big bird tumbled from its perch, the 
Indians rushed to the shore, plunged through the 
shoal water and crowded around the fallen ibis. 
Then they gathered about, examining the rock, 
and the boys saw them pointing excitedly at the 
mark on the stone where the bullet had struck, 
after passing through the bird, and the next moment 
the Kunas hurried behind the ledge. 

‘'Oh, that’s rich!” exclaimed Fred. “They’re 
looking to see if the bullet went clear through the 
stone!” 

Scarcely had he spoken, when a mighty shout of 
wonder and triumph went up from the Indians. 


186 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Say, what do you suppose that means?’’ cried 
Harry. “Something’s up. Let’s go over and 
see. ” 

Curious to learn why the Kunas were so excited, 
the boys hurried across to the ledge and as the 
assembled Indians stood aside and they glanced 
at the back of the rock, Harry gave a surprised 
whistle and nudged his cousin while both boys had 
hard work not to burst into convulsive laughter. 
On the back of the ledge was a deep hollow sur- 
rounded by cracks and flaking rock and extending 
to a dark crevice, and in a way, resembling the 
shattered opening the bullet had made in the stool. 
The Kunas thought Fred’s shot had passed clear 
through ten feet of solid rock ! 

“That’s a good one!” ejaculated Fred, as fol- 
lowed by the awed Indians, they returned to their 
house. “But we want to be mighty careful not to 
Are at a rock again. Luck like that doesn’t happen 
twice!” 

But they were not called upon to shoot again. 
The Kunas had seen enough and were perfectly 
convinced of the supernatural qualities of the 
boys’ weapons. 

“Say, Dad,” exclaimed Harry, soon after they 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 187 


reached the house. “Why not ask the chief about 
sending us out of here. He’s in good humor now. ” 

But when Dr. Woodward interrogated him, the 
old fellow appeared ill at ease, he fidgeted and 
tried his best to evade the question. Why, he 
asked, were the white men anxious to leave Were 
they not content.^ Were they not comfortable.^ 

Then, when Dr. Woodward tried to explain that 
they wished to return to their own homes, that 
they had been quite content and comfortable, but 
that they had many other places to go and that 
their friends would think they had met with dis- 
aster, the Kuna made innumerable excuses for 
delaying. It was a long distance to travel, he said, 
his men could not go beyond the village of the 
tame Kunas, — they dared not approach the 
settlements — and he wished to give a great dance 
in the white strangers’ honor. But finally, he 
promised he would provide a cayuca and men to 
take them to the friendly Kuna’s village in three 
days. 

“He doesn’t want us to go,” asserted Harry 
when the chief had gone. “He’s got some reason 
for wanting to keep us here, I know. ” 

His father laughed: “Of course he has,” he 


188 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


agreed. “He looks upon us as valuable assets, — 
we give him a great prestige among the tribe. At 
the present time he can crow over all the others, 
but as soon as we leave he’ll be only a village chief 
once more. He’s very much like many of our own 
countrymen after all, — like some local politician or 
obscure official suddenly brought into the limelight 
of publicity and fame by having as guests some 
famous men or titled persons. Human nature’s 
much the same the world over.” 

“I see,” assented Harry. “And he’s going to 
give a dance for us just as society people give balls 
and receptions to prominent visitors at home. ” 

“It’s too bad they haven’t a newspaper,” 
laughed Fred. “Wouldn’t they have a fine time 
getting out extras! Just imagine the headlines: 
‘Chief Karopi,’ — that’s his name isn’t it — ‘visited 
by friends of the radium god! Illustrious visitors 
to meet leading Kuna families at great social func- 
tion ! Magic guns shoot through ten feet of rock !’ ” 

Both boys roared with laughter in which Dr. 
Woodward joined. 

“I think some of the puzzling matters about 
these people are explained now,” remarked Dr. 
Woodward as their merriment ceased. “It’s 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 189 


evident that they are in constant communication 
with the tame Kunas who are in turn in touch 
with the Chokois and the outlying Panamanian 
settlements. That’s how they secure so many 
articles of civilization and have learned what 
Spanish they know. And it also accounts for the 
fact that they are not really wild in the strict sense, 
— contact with the semi-civilized Kunas has had 
its effect. ” 

“Well, it hasn’t made them any less bloodthirsty 
or more friendly to strangers, ” declared Fred. 

‘T don’t think they are really bloodthirsty,” 
contended his uncle. “And their attitude towards 
outsiders is not exactly that of enemies, — that is 
they are not really hostile. From what I have been 
able to learn the Kunas merely wish to keep their 
district to themselves and prevent strangers from 
opening it up, and I don’t blame them. On the 
contrary, I think they are to be praised. They are 
wise people, and having seen the dire results to the 
Indians that follow civilized man, I am quite in 
sympathy with the Kunas, — even if they do use 
rather drastic measures.” 

“Well, they ought to put up signs with ‘no 
trespassing ’ then, ” declared Harry. 


190 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Their reputation answers instead,” his father 
reminded him. “Don’t forget we were warned. 
Our predicament was due to our own acts. ” 

“Yes, we were warned all right, — by ‘pure fic- 
tion, ridiculous yarns and nonsensical stories’ as 
you called them,” chuckled Fred. 

“Don’t rub it in, Fred,” begged his uncle good- 
naturedly. “I admit I deserve all the jollying 
you want to give me; but never again!” 

Throughout the rest of the day the boys 
wandered about, watching the preparations for 
the big dance which was to take place on the 
morrow and then, as they grew tired of this, they 
strolled off on a trail leading towards the forest. 
The man they called Sambo was, for the first time, 
absent and the two boys wandered aimlessly along 
the path by themselves. 

“I expect this goes to one of the other villages, ” 
remarked Harry. “It’s a well-worn trail. Let’s 
go make them a visit.” 

“Not on your life!” returned Fred. “It might 
be the village where that big fellow’s chief and I’m 
not doing any calling on him!” 

“Cricky, I hadn’t thought of that!” admitted 
Harry. “I’m not anxious to see him either. ” 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 191 


Presently, as they chatted, they came to 
a spot where the path forked and the two 
hesitated. 

“Which one will we take?” queried Harry. 

“I vote we go back,” suggested Fred. “We 
might run into a village before we knew it. ” 

At this moment they heard footsteps behind 
them, and turning, saw the missing Sambo hurry- 
ing towards them. 

“I knew we couldn’t lose him!” ejaculated 
Harry. “We ought to have named him ‘Shadow’ 
instead of Sambo. ” 

“Well, he can tell us where these trails go, ” said 
Fred. 

To the boys’ questions, the man replied that the 
right-hand path led to another village beyond a 
river; but when they asked about the other trail 
he appeared loth to tell them, pretending not to 
understand, and striving to induce them to follow 
the other path. 

“There’s something mysterious about this,” 
declared Harry. “He doesn’t want us to go up 
here and won’t tell us why. Come on, Fred, let’s 
investigate.” 

Fred hesitated. “I don’t know as it’s safe,” 


192 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


he remonstrated. “We might get into more 
trouble.” 

“Oh pshaw!” Harry urged. “There’s no 
danger. If it went to a village he’d say so. Be- 
sides we’ve got our guns and these people are 
scared to death of us now. Come on, Fred, don’t 
be a ’fraid cat. Maybe we’ll have an adventure 
or find out something. ” 

“All right, ” agreed Fred at last. “But I’m not 
too keen on adventures.” 

With all their curiosity aroused at the Kuna’s 
evident desire to keep them from following the 
trail, and, boy-like, the more determined to pro- 
ceed the more he protested, they started forward 
up the path. 

With every step the Indian became more and 
more excited, jabbering in his own tongue, begging 
them, to the best of his ability with his limited 
Spanish, to turn back, gesticulating earnestly and 
with a thoroughly frightened look upon his face. 

“What on earth do you suppose ails him.^” 
exclaimed Harry. 

“I don’t know,” replied his cousin and then, as 
a thought crossed his mind, he added: “I’ll bet I 
do, though! Say, do you remember Uncle Frank 


THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY 193 


saying one time how superstitious Indians were 
about their dead? I’ll bet this goes to their 
cemetery ! ” 

“Gee, I guess you’re right!” agreed Harry. “I 
wonder what it’s like.” 

“Perhaps we’d better go back,” suggested Fred. 
“Maybe strangers are not allowed there.” 

“Well, big muck-a-mucks like us ought to be 
able to go anywhere,” argued Harry. “I guess 
Sambo’s just scared himself, that’s all. ” 

Hardly had he spoken when they came abruptly 
to a little clearing in the forest and with surprised 
exclamations the boys halted in their tracks and 
stood gazing in wonder at the open space before 
them. 

In the centre of the clearing, on a low mound, 
squatted a huge, stone idol. Hung about his neck 
and shoulders were wreaths of faded flowers, bright 
colored bird skins, strings of teeth and golden 
ornaments; upon the mound about him were count- 
less pots, baskets and trays of fruits and vegetables, 
and leaning against his sides were bows and arrows, 
blow-guns, canoe paddles and two rust-covered 
shotguns. But the boys scarcely glanced at these. 
Their eyes were riveted upon the idol itself, for its 


194 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


hideous, misshapen face, its bulging stomach and 
its grotesque form were the exact counterparts of 
the image they had bought in New York! 

“ Jehosephat!” ejaculated Harry. “It’s the 
radium god ! ” 

“The grand-daddy of the radium god, you 
mean!” exclaimed Fred. “Gee whittaker, Harry, 
we have made a discovery!” 


CHAPTER XII 

A DAY OF TERROR 

“Say, won’t Dad be surprised though!” cried 
Harry as the boys recovered from their first 
astonishment at finding the idol in the forest. 
“Let’s run right back and tell him, come on!” 

As the boys turned they almost stumbled over 
Sambo, who was grovelling on the ground as 
frightened, as Fred said, as if he expected to see the 
idol jump down and shake hands with the boys. 

But as soon as he saw the two were leaving, the 
Kuna leaped up and hurried along with them, 
evidently immensely relieved to find that no 
catastrophe had resulted from the boys’ discovery. 

Dr. Woodward was tremendously interested in 
the boys’ account of the idol and was almost as 
excited as they. 

“By Jove!” he ejaculated. “You’ve stumbled 

195 


196 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


on the key to a lot of mysteries, but it’s too dark 
to go there, tonight, we’ll have to wait until morn- 
ing. But from your description I think I can put 
two and two together and see the reason for many 
things which have puzzled me. If I’m not greatly 
mistaken, your big idol is not Kuna, it’s a pre- 
historic image, — such things are not uncommon in 
Yucatan, Honduras and other places, — and these 
people, finding it in the forest, were filled with 
superstitious awe and worshipped it, — or rather 
propitiated it with gifts, — for it’s evidently a 
devil-god. Then we come along with a miniature 
of the same god and in their primitive minds they 
at once assume that we have some supernatural 
association with it — perhaps that we are its emis- 
saries or are the people who placed it there. That 
would account for their recognizing and fearing 
the god, even though they have none like it in the 
village, for it’s not one of their own.” 

“Then why didn’t they show it to us, and why 
didn’t they want us to go to it?” asked Harry. 

“Hmm, that’s something of a mystery, I 
admit, ” replied his father. “ But there are several 
theories that might explain it. Possibly they 
thought we might take it from them or that we 


A DAY OF TERROR 


197 


might complain to the idol of their treatment, or 
they may have reasoned that we might be offended 
at finding they were worshipping our god, or there 
might be a dozen reasons. A white man can’t 
understand the psychology of the Indian, — it’s 
hopeless to try. ” 

‘‘Well, I still can’t see where our god came from, 
if it’s not Kuna and that big one’s prehistoric,” 
declared Fred. 

“Ours is doubtless prehistoric, also,” his uncle 
explained. “Henderson may have dug it up or 
found it in the bush. No doubt the race that made 
the big idol had many smaller ones also. ” 

“Then we’ll never find where it came from,” 
exclaimed Harry in disappointed tones. “And 
we won’t find that radium stuff.” 

“I’m afraid not,” agreed his father. “It may 
have been made hundreds of miles from here, 
— thousands perhaps — those prehistoric races 
wandered long distances in their migrations. Why, 
for all we know, your little god may have been 
brought from South America or Mexico or even 
from Asia. No, I guess we’ll have to abandon that 
idea.” 

“Well, I won’t,” maintained Fred. “The trail 


198 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


of the radium god has led us right straight to 
here and I’ll bet we find where it came from 
yet.” 

Throughout the evening the boys could talk of 
little besides their discovery of the afternoon. 

“Perhaps they won’t let us go there again,” 
suggested Harry as, for the hundredth time, they 
were discussing the matter. “Sambo’ll tell them 
all about our being there. ” 

“Don’t worry about that,” said his father con- 
fidently. “ They’ll not dare use force to prevent us, 
and as no harm came from your first visit they’ll 
reason that the god favors our going to him. 
Besides, judging from the sounds, our hosts will 
not be in any condition to know whether we go or 
not. They’ve begun their celebration already. 
They’ve been drinking palm-wine all afternoon 
and evening and are getting hilarious. In the 
morning they’ll all be sleeping off the effects of the 
liquor. ” 

A moment later, the chief appeared, accom- 
panied by a girl carrying a big bowl of palm-wine 
and it was at once evident that the village ruler 
had been imbibing as freely and as unwisely as his 
subjects. He walked unsteadily, leered foolishly. 


A DAY OF TERROR 


199 


slapped the boys and Dr. Woodward familiarly 
on their backs and urged them to drink. 

“You’ll have to humor him, boys, ” declared the 
latter. “If we refuse it will be an unpardonable 
insult and may cause trouble. The stuff doesn’t 
taste so badly and it contains so little alcohol it 
won’t hurt you.” 

Accordingly, although the boys made wry faces, 
they filled calabashes with the liquor and sipped 
some of it. This seemed to completely satisfy the 
chief and after trying to talk to them, and succeed- 
ing in getting his native tongue and his limited 
Spanish hopelessly confused, he quaffed a huge 
calabash of the wine, laughed boisterously, shouted 
in glee and cutting a few wild capers on his wobbly 
legs he succeeded in getting safely down the ladder 
to rejoin his merry-making friends. 

“I guess you were right about their all being 
drunk by morning, ” remarked Harry as the chief 
left. “Old Karopi’s three sheets in the wind 
already and I don’t suppose they’ve even really 
begun yet. ” 

Fred looked troubled, “Won’t they be dangerous 
if they’re drunk.^^” he asked. “I thought Indians 
were always worse when they had been drinking. ” 


200 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“ If trouble starts, they are worse, ” replied Dr. 
Woodward. “But all the South American In- 
dians I’ve seen get too intoxicated to be dangerous 
and as long as everything goes well they’re just 
foolishly happy and good-natured. The most 
dangerous time is when they are recovering from 
the effects and are irritable. Then, very often, a 
few words or an argument will lead to bloodshed. 
But I don’t know enough about these people to 
know how liquor affects them. However, judging 
from the chief’s actions, they get good-naturedly 
drunk and you need not worry, as long as there’s 
any wine left they’ll devote all their attentions 
to it.” 

Thus reassured, and judging from the laughter, 
shouts and songs which came to their ears, that the 
Kunas were in a most happy frame of mind, the 
boys crawled into their hammocks. But they did 
not sleep well. The noise of the hilarious Indians 
disturbed them, and their slumbers were filled 
with dreams of great grotesque idols which changed 
into savage Kunas who chased them with uplifted 
knives through the forest, and with similar night- 
mares. 

They awoke as usual at dawn and found the 


A DAY OF TERROR 


201 


village as silent as the tomb. The boy had not 
appeared as usual with breakfast, and as Dr. 
Woodward expressed the opinion that he was 
probably too overcome with liquor to bring it, 
the three filled their pockets with fruit and tor- 
tillas from the preceding evening, and creeping 
down the ladder, started for the trail through the 
forest. Aside from the prowling, emaciated dogs, 
there was no sign of life and as the curs had long 
since become acquainted with the Americans they 
refrained from barking, and the three gained the 
shelter of the forest unnoticed. 

By the time they reached the fork in the path 
the sun had risen, but the jungle was still shadowy 
with mist and as they were about to turn into the 
trail leading to the idol they heard footsteps and 
low voices approaching. Instantly they dodged 
out of sight among the trees, and a moment later, 
a file of a dozen or more Kunas appeared in the 
path leading to the other village. All were togged 
out in dance costumes and were grotesquely paint- 
ed in gaudy colors and were evidently on their 
way to the dance at the village the boys had just 
left. As they drew close and the boys recognized 
the leader, they almost allowed a frightened ex- 


202 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


clamation to escape their lips. The man was the 
cruel-faced Kuna chief the boys dreaded ! 

As he and his men came abreast of the boys’ 
hiding place he halted and for a moment, the 
three felt sure they had been discovered; but 
after a brief stop the Kunas again resumed their 
way. 

“Thank Heaven he didn’t see us!” exclaimed 
Dr. Woodward fervently as the last sounds of the 
Indians died away and he and the boys stepped 
from the jungle into the trail. 

“Gosh, yes!” agreed Harry. “My heart was 
right in my throat when they stopped. You don’t 
think they saw us, do you?” 

“No indeed,” replied his father positively. “If 
they had that big fellow would have let us know it, 
never fear.” 

A few moments later, they reached the clearing 
and Dr. Woodward exclaimed with delight as he 
saw the idol looming gigantic in the faint morning 
light. “Jove!” he ejaculated, as, with the boys 
at his heels, he approached the hideous stone god. 
“It’s a wonderful specimen! Yes, as I thought, 
it’s prehistoric. But what a pity we lost the 
camera! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen 


A DAY OF TERROR 


203 


described. It’s not Maya nor Aztec, — rather more 
like Inca work.” 

“Say, perhaps he’s made of that radium stuff 
too, ” suggested Harry. “ He’s just as black as the 
little fellow.” 

“No, he’s black basalt, ” declared his father. “I 
don’t attach any significance to the material of 
which your god was made, it was merely chance, 
— perhaps the only black material at hand — for I 
believe all images of this god are black, devil-gods 
or idols are, usually. ” 

As he spoke, he was carefully examining the idol, 
jotting down notes in his book, stepping carefully 
among the numerous jars and baskets of offerings 
and entirely absorbed in the scientific interest of 
the strange idol, while the boys watched him 
curiously and made jocular remarks about the 
ugliness and grotesque features of the huge image. 

“I guess that’s done,” announced Dr. Wood- 
ward at last, as he put the finishing touches to a 
sketch. “Now to measure him. Come here, 
Harry, just help hold this tape. ” 

As he spoke, he placed his notebook and pencil 
on a fallen tree trunk and drawing a tape measure 
from his pocket stepped towards the idol. Lay- 


m IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


ing his rifle aside, Harry held one end of the tape 
while his father, taking care not to disturb the 
wreaths or decorations draped about the idol, 
climbed up until he stood on one of the great stone 
knees. From this point he could just touch the 
top of the god’s head with his outstretched hand 
and he was on the point of reaching up when a 
slight sound from the direction of the trail caused 
him and the two boys to turn. 

Standing at the edge of the clearing, his face 
distorted with demoniacal rage and savage hatred, 
stood the big Kuna chief! 

So totally unexpected and startling was this 
apparition that Dr. Woodward’s face paled, he 
dropped the tape and almost fell from his pre- 
carious perch, while the two boys felt faint and 
sick with terror and stood speechless and shudder- 
ing beside the idol. 

The next second, the Kuna uttered a fierce, 
sharp yell and swinging a heavy club of carved 
wood above his head leaped towards the Americans. 

His movements and his shout broke the spell. 
With a queer, gasping cry Fred threw up his rifle 
and aiming at the approaching savage, pulled the 
trigger. The hammer clicked, but there was no 


A DAY OF TERROR 


205 


report; the magazine was empty; he had forgotten 
to load his gun and his knees shook and his head 
reeled. But the onrushing savage had seen the 
boy’s action, he well knew the death that lurked 
in that tube of steel and instantly he stopped in his 
tracks, sprang to one side and then, stooping 
swiftly, seized the note book from the log and 
with a wild, triumphant shout leaped into the 
jungle and disappeared. 

For a space the three stood silent, too surprised 
and stunned to speak, the boys with fast-beating 
hearts and frightened faces and Dr. Woodward 
pale, serious and with worry and trouble upon his 
features. 

“Gad!” he exclaimed at last. “Now we’re in 
for it! Come on, boys! You say Sambo told you 
there was a river down that other path. Perhaps 
there are canoes there ! It’s our one chance ! ” 

With one accord the three dashed from the 
clearing and down the trail with deadly peril and 
fear lending speed to their feet. No words had been 
needed to make the boys’ realize their danger. 
The big Kuna had seen them desecrating the idol, 
he had seized the book containing the pictures of 
the radium god, he would rush to the village, show 


206 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the photographs and tell a highly colored story 
of the idol being angry at the strangers and of 
having given the pictures into his hands. All that 
had stood between them and death by torture 
was in the possession of their worst enemy. He 
would make the most of it and the Kunas, aroused 
from their half-drunken sleep, their brains be- 
fuddled with liquor, would listen to him. In their 
superstitious, primitive minds they would believe 
the outraged god itself had trusted his likeness to 
the chief; they would reason that the strangers 
were no longer under the idol’s protection and 
with all their fanatical, savage enmity aroused, 
they would seek to capture and destroy the Ameri- 
cans. And as such thoughts rushed through the 
boys’ brains they remembered Dr. Woodward’s 
words, that the Indians were most dangerous when 
recovering from intoxication. 

Madly they raced along the trail and their skins 
grew chill, as reaching the junction of the two 
paths, they heard loud cries and excited shouts 
from the direction of the village. Already, the 
savages were on their trail! Panting for breath, 
terror-stricken, the fugitives turned and ran as they 
had never run before down the trail towards the 


A DAY OF TERROR 


207 


river, hoping and praying that they would meet no 
Indians, that canoes might be upon the shore. 

Fortunately it was not far. They burst from 
the forest in view of a broad stream and they 
shouted with joy as they saw four large cayucas 
drawn upon the narrow beach. Shoving the 
canoes into the water the three leaped into one, 
leaving the others to drift away, and seizing the 
paddles strained every muscle to speed their craft 
down the river. They were not a moment too soon. 
Scarcely had they passed the first bend when, from 
behind them, came angry voices and savage cries 
as the pursuing Kunas reached the landing and 
found the canoes gone. 

The current fiowed swiftly, and aided by this 
and their frenzied efforts, the light canoe fairly 
raced along. For a time, a faint hope rose within 
them that their pursuers had given up the chase, 
that, unable to secure the drifting cayucas and 
realizing that there would be no chance of over- 
taking the fugitives by pushing through the forest, 
they had returned to the village. But this faint 
hope was quickly dispelled, for now, from up- 
stream, came the sounds of voices and even the 
rattle of paddles upon the canoes’ rails. The 


m IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Kunas had secured their boats, they were close 
behind them; at any moment they might come 
within sight. Had the river been straight they 
would have had no chance, but it wound and 
curved; seldom was there a stretch of more than a 
few hundred feet between the wooded bends, and 
as the boys swung around curve after curve they 
strained their ears, striving to learn if their ene- 
mies were gaining upon them. 

Then the cayuca swept around a sharp bend, 
ahead, the river seemed to end, a cloud of mist 
rose above its surface and to their ears came a low, 
thunderous roar. They were approaching a 
cataract, they could go no farther. They must 
reach shore or plunge over the falls to certain 
death! But could they do it? Already, the 
current had increased, their craft was rushing for- 
ward towards the brink of the cataract and though 
they struggled frantically to check their progress, 
to swing their cayuca towards the bank, their 
efforts seemed hopeless. The canoe, in the grip 
of the current, was unmanageable, it spun like a 
top, they were within a few yards of the falls when, 
seized in a cross current, the dugout swung about. 
A frantic stroke of the paddles drove its bow against 


A DAY OF TERROR 


209 


a bar in shoal water, and leaping out, the three 
exhausted, panting, occupants splashed through 
the shallow water to the shore, and stumbling, 
dashed into the jungle. Relieved of their weight, 
the canoe floated free, for a brief second it drifted 
uncertainly in the eddies and before the boys had 
reached the shelter of the forest it poised for an 
instant on the verge of the cataract and then, with 
one end thrown high in air, it vanished. 

At the same instant, a savage yell rang through 
the forest. The Kunas’ canoes swept into view of 
the falls and catching a fleeting glimpse of the 
cayuca as it plunged to destruction a triumphant 
shout rose from their throats. Rushing their 
canoes ashore on the opposite bank of the river 
from the fugitives, the Indians leaped onto the 
bank and hurried through the jungle down the 
steep descent to the bottom of the falls, expecting 
to find the mangled bodies of the dead or dying 
Americans upon the jagged rocks or in the seething 
whirlpools. 

At the first cry of the pursuing savages, the 
boys and Dr. Woodward had flung themselves 
down, cowering and trembling amid the thick 
underbrush, utterly exhausted, knowing that to 


14 


210 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


move would betray their whereabouts and striving 
to control their panting breaths. 

But as, through the openings among the trees, 
they saw the Kunas disembark upon the opposite 
shores and disappear in the forest, they realized 
what had occurred; how lucky it had been that 
their own craft had been carried over the falls and 
that it had not remained upon the bar to betray 
their whereabouts. That the Indians would event- 
ually pick up their trail they felt certain. As soon 
as the search below the cataract proved fruitless 
and the Kunas found no signs of bodies, they 
would instinctively guess that their quarry had 
managed to reach shore and had taken to the 
bush, and like bloodhounds, they would be upon 
the trail. 

But while the Indians were out of sight they 
were in no danger of discovery. No sounds of 
breaking twigs or crashing of underbrush could be 
heard by their enemies, the roar of the water would 
drown all such sounds. There was one chance in a 
thousand that they might gain some spot where 
they could lie concealed until the Kunas had 
abandoned their search, or some point of vantage, 
where, sheltered by rocks or trees on rising ground. 


A DAY OF TERROR 211 

they could defend themselves and at least sell their 
lives dearly. 

Rapidly and in short-clipped words Dr. Wood- 
ward explained this to the boys and as he spoke 
Fred rapidly loaded the empty magazine of hio 
rifle. 

“Don’t shoot unless I tell you,” ordered his 
uncle. “Unless we are attacked and you are in 
danger. If an arrow or dart is fired, don’t hesitate 
and don’t waste your bullets. I hope we won’t 
have to take life. Perhaps the first shots will drive 
them back; but it’s our lives or theirs. Come on ! ” 

Leading the way. Dr. Woodward crashed 
through the bushes up a steep hill before them and 
presently they tore themselves free from the last 
clinging, tripping vines and thorny shrubs and 
found themselves in open forest. Here they could 
move rapidly, but it was all uphill, and tired as 
they were with their long run along the trail and 
their frantic paddling, the boys felt as if their 
hearts would burst, as if their lungs must give way, 
as they staggered after Dr. Woodward. 

And then, once more, their blood seemed to 
cease flowing through their veins, with redoubled 
exertions they panted and struggled for greater 


212 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


speed, for the triumphant cries of their enemies 
told them their trail had been found, that the 
savages were rushing after them. 

Nearer and nearer came the cries and with a 
swift backward glance Harry caught a glimpse 
of a figure leaping through the forest behind them. 
A choking, gasping cry warned his companions 
and with a last burst of speed they plunged on. 
Ahead the forest seemed to be less dense, among 
the tree trunks was brilliant light. There was a 
clearing of some sort, a place where, to attack 
them, the Indians must enter the open. But could 
they reach it? Now from the rear, they could hear 
the sounds of breaking twigs, the crackle of 
branches, as the Kunas drew ever nearer. They 
dared not look back and then something whirred 
softly past Fred’s head and a long arrow struck 
quivering in the earth. The Indians were within 
bowshot! At any moment poisoned darts or cruel 
arrows might bring them down. Speed was of no 
avail against these swift and silent messengers of 
death and Fred wheeling, threw his rifle to his 
shoulder and scarcely stopping to aim, fired twice 
at the the dim, shadowy, oncoming forms. At the 
double report, a piercing cry of terror rose from the 


A DAY OF TERROR 


213 


Kunas and not stopping to see if he had killed or 
wounded one of their number Fred rushed on. But 
the Indians were not pursuing now. No more 
arrows were fired, the sound of the pursuers grew no 
nearer and only a scanty hundred yards lay be- 
tween the fleeing three and the clearing ahead. 
But before half the distance was covered the sav- 
ages were once more in pursuit. Nearer and nearer 
they came and Harry, swinging around, fired two 
more shots. Once again, that yell of mingled fear 
and defiance rang through the forest. Once more 
the Indians hesitated and before they again dashed 
forward in pursuit the boys and Dr. Woodward 
reached the last of the trees and ran from the forest 
onto a broad, steeply-sloping, grassy hill from 
whose farther side rose a towering, precipitous 
wall of rock, — a mighty rampart a thousand feet in 
height. To scale that frowning, perpendicular cliff 
was impossible; behind them was the forest alive 
with cruel savages. They were cut off, at the end 
of the trail, escape was beyond all hope. But at 
the base of the precipice were great masses of 
fallen rock; a temporary refuge where they could 
lie in safety and stand off their pursuers until 
ammunition was exhausted. Unhesitatingly, they 


214 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


dashed across the grassy slope, stumbling and 
tripping, gasping for breath, feeling as if each step 
must be their last, until unable to hurry more, 
barely able to lift their leaden feet, the boys slowed 
to a walk and fearfully glanced back. To their 
amazement, to their unutterable joy, no Indian 
was following them. At the edge of the woods the 
Kunas stood, talking and gesticulating, pointing 
at the retreating three, but making no move to 
pursue. At the boys’ gasping, choking exclama- 
tions, Dr. Woodward also turned and as if his 
action were a signal, one of the Kunas sprang 
forward and raced towards them. 

“Come on!” shouted Dr. Woodward. “Quick! 
Don’t wait ! They’ll all be after us in a moment ! ” 

But the boys could not obey, they were spent, 
done, barely able to drag themselves ahead. 

“I can’t!” panted Fred, “I’m-all-in!” 

Hardly had he spoken when his uncle was beside 
him. With a strength born of desperation, he 
seized the two boys, half lifted them from their 
feet and turned to toil up the hill. At the same 
instant, the oncoming Indian halted, he drew his 
powerful bow to his ear and the barbed shaft sung 
through the air. Straight towards Dr. Woodward’s 


A DAY OF TERROR 


215 


back it sped, true as a bullet towards its mark. 
In the fraction of a second the barbed head would 
bury itself between the white man’s shoulders. 
But in that brief time, in the flicker of an eyelid, 
fate intervened. Laden with the boys, aching in 
every muscle, barely able to stagger on, the scien- 
tist’s foot struck a bit of stone, he stumbled and 
with a hiss like an angry serpent, the arrow whizzed 
past his ear. 

Quick as a flash he dropped to earth, with a 
single movement he seized Harry’s rifle and threw 
it to his shoulder. With hands steadied by a 
supreme effort of will he brought the sight to bear 
upon the Indian’s painted chest, the sharp report 
was flung back in deafening echoes from the mighty 
cliffs above and with a wild, agonized shriek the 
Kuna leaped high in air and with a sickly thud fell 
back upon the grass. 

“That ends him!” grunted Dr. Woodward be- 
tween hard-drawn breaths. “And I’m not sorry. 
It evens scores a bit. It was that big brute! ” 

A moment later, the three had gained the shelter 
of the rocks and flinging themselves behind the 
protecting stones they strove to regain their spent 
breaths and peered back towards the forest and 


216 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the Kunas. Still the little knot of Indians stood 
there, half -hidden by the trees, while on the grassy 
slope sprawled the dead body of the hulking chief. 

Barely one hundred paces separated the baffled 
savages from their fallen leader and yet they 
stood there as though not daring to emerge from 
the shelter of the forest. 

“It’s strange!” muttered Dr. Woodward as his 
breath came back. “I don’t understand it.” 

“Perhaps it’s the guns,” panted Fred. 

His uncle shook his head. “No, that didn’t 
stop them from following back there in the woods. 
And they’d risk more than that rather than leave 
the body for the buzzards. It’s fear of something 
else. I don’t know what.” 

“It — it, doesn’t help us much!” stammered 
Harry. “Perhaps they are just waiting until we 
starve or die of thirst. We can’t go beyond here. ” 

“No, we can’t climb that rock — ” began his 
father and then, as he glanced up at the towering 
wall above them, he started and a sharp ejacula- 
tion burst from his lips. 

“By Jove!” he cried. “Look there! Perhaps 
we can escape yet!” 

Within a dozen yards of where they crouched 


A DAY OF TERROR 


217 


the vast cliff was cut by a narrow, black opening, a 
stupendous crack, a canyon the summits of whose 
walls were lost in the fleecy clouds above. 

“How does that help.^” queried Harry, listlessly. 

“Perhaps it doesn’t,” replied his father. “But 
it’s a chance. It may extend through the cliff; 
it may lead to the mountain top. Anything is 
better than this. While there is life there is always 
hope, boys. Are you rested? Do you think you 
can walk?” 

“I can, ” asserted Fred bravely. “ I’m tired and 
aching, but I’ve got my wind back; but I couldn’t 
run, — not if all the Kunas in Darien were at my 
heels.” 

“I guess I can manage it,” declared Harry. 
“ Come on, let’s go. ” 

Stiflfly and painfully, the boys rose and stooping 
low, that they might not expose themselves, the 
three crept among the rocks and gained the black 
and shadowy cleft in the mountain side. 

Cold as a tomb was the air in the semi-darkness 
of the canyon and shivering with the chill, dragging 
themselves over the fragments of fallen rock, pick- 
ing their slow and muscle-racking way between 
great boulders, they slowly threaded the narrow 


218 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


crooked passageway. Presently, to their ears, 
came the pleasant sound of running water and 
rounding a jutting mass of stone they came to a 
slender stream of crystal water pouring in a minia- 
ture cataract from a crevice and losing itself upon 
the canyon’s floor. Deeply they drank; they 
bathed their aching heads in the cold mountain 
water^ they laved their faces, and at last, greatly 
refreshed, went on their way. Ever darker and 
more dismal the defile became; their footsteps 
echoed loudly from the overhanging precipices on 
either hand and gradually but steadily, the floor 
of the canyon sloped upward. Steeper and steeper 
it became, frequently the tired boys were forced 
to stop and rest, for their legs ached and throbbed, 
but they were determined not to give in. Dr. 
Woodward had relieved them of their guns, — 
had they been compelled to carry them they would 
have flung them away rather than be burdened 
with the weapons which seemed to weigh tons, 
and Dr. Woodward’s drawn face and tightly shut 
lips showed that he too, was wearied nearly to 
exhaustion. 

Half an hour had passed since first they entered 
the canyon, the cleft that rent the moimtain side 


A DAY OF TERROR 


219 


had widened out and the floor rose steeply before 
them, and once more they stopped to rest before 
resuming the ascent. 

“Oh, Dad,” begged Harry. “How much 
farther — ” But his question was never finished. 
The words froze on his lips, his jaw dropped, his 
eyes were wide with terror and Fred too, sat 
staring, white-faced and shaking, while over 
Dr. Woodward’s features spread a look of wonder, 
surprise and fright combined. 

From far beyond, — eerie and low, clear and dis- 
tinct, — came a long, low, wailing howl. A hair- 
raising frightful sound which rose and fell, echoing 
from wall to wall of the canyon, to die away in a 
long-drawn, blood-curdling moan. 


CHAPTER XIII 

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 

“Wha — what’s that?” stammered Harry, as 
the awful sound ceased to echo through the can- 
yon, and the three looked at one another with 
blanched faces. 

“I don’t know,” confessed his father. “But it’s 
nothing human . Listen ! ’ ’ 

Once again that fearful, horrible cry sent shivers 
chasing up and down their spines, as like the wail 
of a lost soul, it wavered and ceased. 

“Let’s — let’s get out of here!” gasped Fred. 

Dr. Woodward had pulled himself together and 
had recovered from his temporary fright. 

“A noise won’t harm us,” he declared, “and it’s 
probably some wild animal whose howling is in- 
tensified and made more terrifying by the echoes 
from the rocks. Whatever it is, it’s preferable to 
the Kunas outside.” 


220 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 221 


Then, as again the moaning shriek reached their 
ears, he jumped up. 

“Come on, boys!” he cried. “We’ll soon see 
what it is!” 

With the memories of the savages behind them, 
and willing to face almost anything rather than 
the Indians, and summoning all their will power to 
overcome their terror of the unknown, the two 
boys crept forward at the scientist’s heels. 

Once more, as they proceeded, the wavering, 
heart-chilling cry filled the canyon, rising and 
falling in weird, unearthly cadence, and for a 
space the three stood rooted to the spot, for now 
the awful sound seemed to issue from just beyond 
a jutting angle of the canyon’s walls. 

Cautiously, trembling, their scalps tingling, 
filled with dread of the unknown. Dr. Woodward 
and the boys stole forward and as they reached the 
corner and peered cautiously beyond Dr. Wood- 
ward burst into a hysterical fit of laughter. 

“We’ve been frightened at a bug-a-boo,” he 
choked, controlling himself. “There’s your 
banshee, boys!” 

But the boys had already seen. With wonder- 
ing, uncomprehending faces they were gazing up 


222 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the canyon at a monstrous, hideous thing, — a 
gigantic misshapen figure squatting on the floor 
of the defile, — a huge stone idol. 

And suddenly, as they stared at the towering 
black form, the quavering, shrieking moan again 
rent the air, seeming to issue from the brutal 
swollen lips of the idol itself, and trembling, the boys 
drew back and cowered at their companion’s side. 

“Don’t be afraid!” exclaimed Dr. Woodward. 
“It’s only stone!” 

“But, — ^but I don’t understand!” said Harry 
in a hoarse whisper as the terrifying cry ceased. 

“It’s the idol,” explained his father. “It’s a 
whistling idol, — they are not uncommon in 
Mexico, — but a gigantic one. And now I know 
why the Kunas did not follow us. They dared not 
approach this canyon with its screaming god. 
Come along, boys, let’s have a look at our 
banshee.” 

“Gosh, I don’t blame the Kunas,” declared 
Fred. “It’s enough to scare anybody.” 

A moment later, they were close to the 
stone image and an exclamation burst from their 
lips. The whistling idol was a titanic counterpart 
of the radium god ! 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 223 


“By Jove!” ejaculated Dr. Woodward. “Here 
he is again! No wonder the Indians feared 
him.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Fred. “Luck’s with us! 
We’re still on the trail of the radium god!” 

Quite forgetting his weariness and their predica- 
ment in his scientific ardor. Dr. Woodward ex- 
amined the huge idol, clambering over it to study 
the details of the carving, explaining its mechan- 
ism to the interested boys and constantly regret- 
ting the loss of his note book and camera. But the 
boys were terribly tired, their bodies and nerves 
had undergone a xnost fearful ordeal and they were 
glad to throw themselves on the canyon floor and 
rest. Suddenly they remembered the tortillas 
and fruit in their pockets and were soon greedily 
eating, undisturbed by the intermittent shrieks of 
the idol as the wind drew through the defile and 
rushed through the orifice in the god’s head, and 
which, when heard close at hand, sounded more 
like the siren of a steamship than anything else 
and had none of the terrifying qualities which had 
so frightened them at a distance. 

Presently Dr. Woodward joined them, and as 
the three munched their frugal but welcome food. 


224 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


they thanked Providence that they had been led 
to this spot wherein the savage Kunas dared not 
follow. 

“But we can’t stay here long,” Fred declared, 
in rather hopeless tones. “We’ll starve to death 
and we don’t know if this place leads anywhere.” 

“Don’t worry over that,” replied his uncle, 
confidently. “This canyon must lead somewhere 
or the idol wouldn’t be here. Such things were 
always placed in passes by the prehistoric races 
who made them, — no doubt to guard the places 
and scare off enemies exactly as this has frightened 
off the Kunas,” 

“Gosh, then we may meet other Indians!” 
exclaimed Harry. “It’s out of the frying pan and 
into the fire, seems to me.” 

“No danger of that!” aflSrmed his father. 
“The people who made this god have been dead 
and gone for thousands of years.” 

Fred had risen and was poking about the big 
idol. “Say,” he observed, “if these gods keep on 
getting bigger and bigger at this rate they’ll be 
some Billikins before we get through. First we 
start with the little chap in New York, then it’s 
that man-sized fellow near the village, and now 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 225 


he’s grown to about fifty feet high. Jiminy, 
wouldn’t that auctioneer be surprised at this 
fellow for a paper-weight!” 

Feeling greatly refreshed and with far more 
confidence than they had felt before, they left the 
whistling idol behind and toiled up the steep, 
rock-strewn pass. The canyon had now become 
very narrow, barely four feet from wall to wall, 
and the width rapidly decreased until the three 
were compelled to walk in single file. Looking 
up at the stupendous cliffs they seemed almost to 
meet far overhead and only a narrow ribbon of 
sky was visible, while in the depths of the canyon 
there was scarcely light enough to see the boulders 
and stones that strewed the way. For fully half 
a mile they went on, steadily mounting upward, 
until Dr. Woodward, in the lead, gave a glad 
shout and as the boys reached his side and peered 
ahead they saw brilliant sunlight where the walls 
of the canyon came to an abrupt end. Filled with 
joy at soon being out of the sombre, chilling pass, 
they hurried forward, the way grew broader, light 
filled the defile and, a moment later, they stood in 
the warm sunshine at the canyon’s end. 

Wonderingly and with fast-beating hearts they 

IS 


226 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


gazed upon the scene before them. They were 
standing on a ledge, a narrow niche in the 
mountain side. From their feet, a gentle rock- 
covered declivity sloped down, and beyond, stretch- 
ing in a vast, elliptical plain, was a rich, green 
valley bathed in sunlight and hemmed in on every 
side by towering, frowning mountains. But it 
was neither plain nor encircling mountains which 
held them speechless and staring with wonder. 
Almost in the center of the valley, plain and 
sharp in the clear mountain air, was a large 
town! And at their first glance all knew that it 
was no Panamanian settlement, no Indian village 
that they saw. The houses, low, broad and roof- 
less were of stone; they were arranged in squares 
and rectangular groups, leaving straight narrow 
streets between, and no windows pierced the blank 
walls. At a little distance from the other build- 
ings, — isolated upon the grass-covered plain, — 
rose a low, flat-topped pyramid capped by a great 
stone idol, while, moving about the streets, 
perched on the parapet-like walls of the houses, 
and clustered about the base of the idol, were 
small brown figures, dwarflike in appearance and, 
from the distance, apparently naked. 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 227 


“Gosh!” exclaimed Harry in awe-struck tones. 
“ Gee whiz ! It’s the lost city ! ” 

“By Jove, I believe ’tis!” cried his father. 

“Golly, and it’s full of people!” put in Fred. 
“Jiminy, now we are in a fix! Perhaps they’re 
worse than the Kunas!” 

“And we can’t frighten them, we haven’t even 
got the pictures ! ” sighed Harry, hopelessly. 

Dr. Woodward had been staring searchingly, 
almost incredulously, at the mysterious town and 
the hurrying figures, and now he burst into a 
hearty laugh. 

“You needn’t fear those people!” he declared. 
“They’re not Indians!” 

“Not Indians?” repeated Harry in puzzled 
tones. “What do you mean? What are they, 
then?” 

“They’re not even men, — though I don’t 
wonder that aviator thought so — they’re only 
monkeys!” 

“Monkeys!” exclaimed the boys in wonder. 

“Yes, big, howling monkeys,” asserted Dr. 
Woodward. “They’ve taken possession of the 
place, but they’re harmless and it’s lucky for us 
they are here. They’re good to eat and the Lord 


228 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


alone knows if there’s any other food here. Come 
on, boys. Let’s get to that town ! ” 

Slipping and sliding down the slope, the three 
reached the valley and pushing through a fringe of 
bushes, came upon a narrow, winding game trail. 
Along this they hurried towards the strange 
hidden city and presently came out upon a broad, 
road-like opening, evidently, in the distant past, 
a paved way, for here and there among the grass 
and weeds and creeping vines they caught 
glimpses of squared cut stones. 

“That shows how long this place has been 
deserted,” remarked Dr. Woodward, pointing to a 
huge tree that rose from the centre of the road. 
“Hello, what’s that.?^” 

As he spoke, some creature came crashing 
through the bushes towards them and the boys 
nervously grasped their guns. The next mo- 
ment a huge black head appeared and a full-grown 
tapir pushed from the shrubbery and stood gazing 
at the intruders. 

“Golly, it’s a tapir!” exclaimed Harry. “Shall 
we shoot him?” he added, quite forgetting his vow 
that he’d never kill one of the creatures. 

For an instant his father hesitated. “No,” he 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 229 


replied, “not yet. We can’t use so much meat. 
By Jove, but he’s tame!” 

As they had been speaking the great, clumsy- 
looking beast had been calmly regarding them, 
sniffing the air curiously but with no sign of fear, 
and finally, apparently satisfied, he walked de- 
liberately across the road and pushed out of sight 
among the bushes 

“That’s reassuring,” declared Dr. Woodward 
as they again hurried on. “He has never seen a 
man before. There’s no danger here, boys.” 

Gradually, as they proceeded, the bushes gave 
way to grass, the trees became scattered, and 
presently they left the thickets behind and were 
on the grass-covered plain with the first buildings 
of the city before them. As they approached, 
short, barking cries of alarm came from the town 
and the big, reddish apes, which they had taken 
for men, scuttled off in every direction, scramb- 
ling up the walls of the houses, peering at the three 
from the house tops, dodging out of sight and 
evidently resenting this intrusion on their domains. 

“Better shoot a couple before they clear out,” 
suggested Dr. Woodward, and as the reports of 
the rifles rang out and echoed from the houses. 


230 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


two of the big monkeys fell, and with frightened, 
almost human cries, the others went leaping off 
towards the nearest clump of trees. 

“Gad!” ejaculated Dr. Woodward as he stopped 
and glanced about. “This is marvellous! It’s 
incredible! Never saw anything like it! Look 
there, boys; just see that carving!” 

But while the boys were mightily impressed by 
their surroundings, while they were thrilled and 
excited at standing here in this almost fabulous 
city of a long-dead race, yet they could not appre- 
ciate the archaeological and scientific wonders of 
the place which filled Dr. Woodward with 
enthusiasm and delight. 

“Well, you’ll have to admit the Colonel was 
right,” observed Fred. “You said you’d believe 
in the lost city and here we are. Jiminy, it’s kind 
of creepy, though! Say, I’ll bet this is the place 
the god came from.” 

“And perhaps that radium stuff is right in this 
valley!” exclaimed Harry. “Gee, fate seems to 
have shoved us right along on its trail ! ” 

“It’s not impossible, not a bit impossible,” 
cried his father. “Nothing could surprise me 
now. Why, boys, this discovery may upset all 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 231 


the theories of early American races! It may 
throw an entirely new light on our archaeology! 
Gad, if I only had my note-book and the camera!” 

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” agreed Harry. 
“That is, if we can get out of here. But I’d hate 
to stay here the rest of my life.” 

“Jove, that’s so!” exclaimed his father. “But 
there must be some way out. Probably another 
entrance. We’ll have to search for it.” 

As they talked, they walked through the silent, 
grass-grown streets, stopping now and then as 
Dr. Woodward caught sight of some new and in- 
teresting feature, until they came to an open square 
or plaza surrounded by much larger and more 
elaborate buildings than any they had seen. One 
of these, which occupied one entire side of the 
square, was somewhat pyramidal in form, with 
inwardly sloping walls and a broad flight of stone 
steps leading to its gaping black portals. From 
top to bottom the walls and fronts of the steps 
were covered with elaborate and intricate carving, 
and at sight of this Dr. Woodward became 
tremendously excited. 

“It’s writing!” he cried. “Hieroglyphs! Jove, 
if I could only find the key to it what a story 


232 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


we might read ! It’s neither Maya, Aztec or Inca. 
Utterly unlike anything else! Gad, if it wasn’t 
in America I should say it was Malaysian; 
see those scrolls and figures, boys! And yet 
it’s not the same in any detail. There’s a bit 
that might be Chinese! It’s a temple of some 
sort I think. Come on, boys, let’s go inside!” 

“All right,” assented Harry. “But I’ll bet it’s 
spooky in there.” 

“Nothing worse than monkeys. I’ll warrant,” 
laughed his father as he led the way up the stone 
stairway. 

But when the boys peered into the huge door- 
way they found it light within and not at all 
spooky as Harry had feared. The place was roof- 
less and open to the sky, the interior being shel- 
tered only by a narrow, jutting balcony or cornice. 
The floor, once richly decorated with colored flag- 
ging, was littered with bits of fallen masonry and 
filthy from the monkeys that had made their home 
there, while in the centre was a black stone idol, — 
the same repulsive-looking god that was now 
becoming so familar to the boys. 

“Hello, here you are again, eh!” cried Fred, as 
he recognized the squat figure. 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 233 


“Say, he’s different,” exclaimed his cousin. 
“His arms are hanging by his side instead of 
resting on his stomach.” 

“That’s so,” agreed Fred. Then, seized with a 
sudden humorous impulse, he stepped toward the 
idol. “How are you, old sport?” he laughed and 
then, extending his hand, grasped that of the idol. 

“Gee Whittaker!” he ejaculated. “His arm’s 
loose!” 

At his surprised exclamation the others turned 
and Fred, again seizing the idol’s hand, moved it 
back and forth a few inches, the entire arm swing- 
ing as if pivoted at the shoulder. 

As he did so, Harry uttered a sharp startled cry 
and leaped to one side. Beneath his feet the stone 
floor had seemed to shake as if about to give way. 

“Gosh, let’s get out of here,” he exclaimed. 
“The whole place will go to pieces if we don’t 
look out.” 

But his father gave no heed to his words, for 
he was carefully examining the idol and its movable 
arm. 

“It’s intentional,” he declared, presently. 
“There’s some reason for it. Give a hand here, 
boys, and see if we can swing it any farther.” 


234 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Rather hesitatingly, the boys obeyed and seizing 
the god’s arm they pushed and then pulled. At 
first there was no result, the arm moved a few 
inches and no more, and then, as they once more 
pushed together, there was a grating jar, the 
arm swung slowly back, there was a scraping noise 
behind them, and glancing about, Fred cried out 
in alarm. A few feet away a gaping black hole 
showed in the solid stone floor. 

At Fred’s shout the others turned and as they 
released their hold upon the idol’s hand the arm 
dropped back, and, before their wondering eyes, 
a section of floor slipped noiselessly forward and 
closed the aperture. 

“Jiminy Christmas!” burst out Fred. “That 
is uncanny!” 

“It’s most interesting,” asserted his uncle. 
“We’ll have to investigate it later. But come, we 
must find some spot that we can occupy while 
we’re here.” 

“Well, I hope we find it mighty soon,” said 
Harry. “I’m dead tired and hungry.” 

“Here too,” added Fred. “I don’t like sleep- 
ing in these old houses, but I’m tired enough to 
sleep anywhere tonight.” 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 235 


‘‘I imagine one of the small buildings will be 
best,” observed Dr. Woodward. “We’ll find one 
that’s in good repair and build a rousing fire in- 
side to drive out the chill and have a good roast 
monkey supper.” 

It was sometime, however, before they found a 
building which suited, but at last, on the out- 
skirts of the town, they discovered a small, solidly 
built place which Dr. Woodward declared had 
once been a storehouse or something similar and 
which was in fairly good repair. Moreover, it was 
clean and, as Fred put it, did not smell like a 
badly kept zoo, and deciding to make this their 
residence the boys and Dr. Woodward set about 
gathering dry wood for a fire. At first the ques- 
tion of water had troubled them, but they dis- 
covered a stone aqueduct or pipe, leading from 
the city towards the mountains and while it was 
so broken and leaky that no water reached the 
town there was enough dripping from the cracks 
to supply all their needs. In many of the houses, 
they found earthen pots and bowls, beautifully 
colored and highly decorated, and there was plenty 
of fuel. Then the question of lighting the fire 
came up and the boys’ faces fell as, rummaging 


236 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


through their pockets, they discovered they had 
no matches. 

‘T had some when I started out this morning,” 
declared Dr. Woodward. ‘T remember lighting 
my pipe as we walked along the trail. They must 
have been lost as we were running from theKunas.” 

“Gosh, what will we do then.^^” cried Harry. 

“Jove, I have my pocket-lens!” exclaimed his 

father. “We can No, it’s too late! The 

sun’s behind the mountains. Gad, why didn’t I 
discover the loss of my matches before ! If I had, 
we could have started the fire before the sun was 
out of sight.” 

“Well, it looks as if we’d go hungry and cold 
tonight,” said Fred. “I’m mighty hungry, but 
I can’t eat raw monkey yet.” 

“I have it,” shouted Harry, jumping up. “We 
can start it with our guns!” 

“Of course!” agreed his father. “Stupid of me 
not to think of that.” 

Shredding the driest branches and bits of bark. 
Dr. Woodward made a little pile of the kind- 
lings while Harry pried and cut a bullet from a 
cartridge. Then, carefully extracting most of 
the powder, he placed it under the kindlings. 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 237 


loaded his rifle with the almost empty shell and 
aiming into the pile of tinder and powder pulled 
the trigger. At the little spit of the exploding 
shell, the powder among the shavings flashed up, 
and the next instant, the shavings were blazing 
merrily. 

“We won’t let that happen again, boys,” de- 
clared Dr. Woodward. “We’ll try and keep a 
few coals alight all the time and if they go out 
we’ll remember to start a blaze with my lens while 
the sun’s up. We can’t afford to waste cartridges.” 

“I should say not!” agreed Fred. “I’ve only 
six left and we can’t tell how long we’ll be here.” 

“And I’ve only four,” put in Harry. “We’ll 
have to make every shot tell if we don’t want to 
starve.” 

“We might kill a tapir and dry his meat, I 
suppose,” suggested his father as they prepared to 
broil the monkeys over the fire. 

“Golly, they do smell good!” declared Fred as 
the meat sizzled and sputtered over the glowing 
bed of coals. “But it makes me feel a bit like a 
cannibal to eat them.” 

“Well they are the inhabitants here,” laughed 
Harry. “So perhaps that’s why you feel so. I 


238 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


don’t though. I only wish we could be sure of 
having them right along.” 

But despite Fred’s feelings, his appetite over- 
came his prejudice and he gnawed ravenously at 
the half-burned monkey meat. Although the 
boys admitted it was good, yet they found it rather 
tough and Dr. Woodward suggested that in the 
future they would stew all the meat. 

By the time the last of the howler’s bones were 
picked clean it was dark, but within the ancient 
stone building it was snug and warm and very 
soon the tired boys fell asleep with only the stone 
floor for a bed and their coats for pillows. Once or 
twice they awoke as the rolling, reverberating 
howls of the big monkeys echoed through the 
deserted town, but they had long ago grown ac- 
customed to this familiar sound, and yawning, 
slumbered again. Soon after daybreak they 
awoke and shivering with cold, for they were at a 
high altitude, blew the dying embers of the fire into 
flame and gathered about it until thoroughly 
warmed up. 

Breakfast was made on the remains of the 
second monkey and while Dr. Woodward busied 
himself with his researches in the town, the two 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 239 


boys started to secure food for the day. Only 
a few monkeys were seen and these scuttled out 
of sight as they saw the boys, so, fearing to waste 
their precious ammunition, they left the city and 
headed for the open country hoping to find larger 
game. Soon after leaving the outlying buildings 
they came to a number of low stone walls half- 
hidden by vines and brush and enclosing rectangu- 
lar areas filled with trees and dense undergrowth. 
Thinking these would be likely spots for game, 
the boys clambered over the walls and forced their 
way through the tangle. Little trails or paths 
were everywhere, as though the spot was much 
frequented by small animals, and in several places 
the boys found the earth dug up and with bits of 
white, w’oody-looking material scattered about. 

“I’d like to know what this is,” remarked Fred, 
as he stooped to examine one spot. 

don’t know,” said Harry, as he picked up 
some of the fragments and looked at them curi- 
ously. “Looks like coconut more than anything 
else. Whatever ’tis, some animal’s been digging 
after it and eating it. Say, maybe it’s something 
we could eat. Let’s take some back and ask 
father.” 


240 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Dropping several of the largest pieces in their 
pockets, the boys continued on their way and 
had gone but a short distance when, from a few 
yards ahead, a small deer sprang up, took several 
graceful bounds and then turned and stood look- 
ing at them. 

Instantly Harry fired and the deer fell. 

“Hurrah, we’ve got enough meat for a day or 
two anyhow!” cried Fred as the two hurried to 
the dead deer. “I guess we’d better take him back 
and not hunt for anything more now.” 

Cutting a pole and lashing the deer to it, as 
they had seen Pedro do with the jaguar, the two 
boys retraced their steps, clambered over the wall 
and bearing the deer between them made their 
way to the city. 

They found Dr. Woodward poring over a pile of 
carved stones which had fallen from one of the 
buildings, and telling him of their success, they 
showed him the material that had puzzled them. 

Dr. Woodward looked at it, poked it with his 
finger and examined it with his lens. “No need 
to worry over food, boys,” he declared. “This is 
yucca or sweet cassava, — the same as you ate at 
the Kuna village. If there’s much of it here we’ll 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 241 


get on famously. I guess we’d better have a look.” 

Regretfully leaving his scientific investigations, 
Dr. Woodward accompanied the boys to the spot 
where they had found the yucca. 

“Why, these were once gardens,” he exclaimed 
as he saw the walled enclosures. “If the brush 
hasn’t choked them out we may find a lot of edible 
things here.” 

Deeply interested, the boys watched the scien- 
tist as he searched about among the weeds. 

“Ah, here we are!” he cried presently, drawing 
the boys’ attention to a slender-stemmed bush 
with grayish-green palmate leaves. “Here’s the 
cassava, plenty of it and, yes, — here’s a yam vine. 
Boys, we’re in luck!” 

Drawing out his knife Dr. Woodward knelt 
down and with the boys helping him he dug into 
the earth and soon secured a big, rough, brown 
tuber. 

“Now we can have a real san-coche, — the na- 
tive stew you know,” he declared. “Let’s see if 
there are any yams.” 

A few minutes work proved that yams also were 
to be had and a little further search disclosed a 
few straggling bean vines, several broad-leaved 


m IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


taro plants and even a number of stalks of Indian 
corn. 

But in most cases birds, animals and insects 
had been before them; the kernels had all been 
eaten from the ears of corn, beans had been stripped 
from the pods and yams, yucca and taro were the 
only vegetables remaining. But the three were 
highly elated at their success. Even after their 
ammunition gave out they could still be sure of 
food, if they found no means to leave the valley 
before then, and laden with the edible tubers they 
returned to the building where they had passed the 
night. 

All were hungry, for they had eaten a scanty 
breakfast and had gone on slim rations the previous 
day, and they at once set to work skinning and 
dressing the deer and paring the vegetables. 
Never, the boys declared, had they tasted any- 
thing better than that stew, even though it was 
lacking in salt, and they ate until they could eat 
no more. 

“I made a discovery this morning,” remarked 
Dr. Woodward as they ate. ‘T think it accounts 
for that tapir being so tame. I found a number of 
carvings showing tapirs being used as beasts of 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 243 


burden. These people domesticated them and 
those that are here are no doubt descendants of 
the tame tapirs. It’s extremely interesting.” 

“Well, why aren’t there any descendants of the 
people themselves.^^” queried Fred. “I don’t see 
why they all cleared out.” 

“Ah!” replied his uncle. “There’s a question 
no one has ever solved. Many prehistoric cities 
have been found with no trace of their inhabit- 
ants and no apparent reason why they were 
deserted. Numberless theories have been ad- 
vanced, — epidemics, enemies, wars, — but none 
seem to account for it. It’s an unsolved riddle. 
One of the mysteries archaeologists are always 
striving to unravel.” 

“Well, perhaps you’ll unravel it here,” com- 
mented Harry. “But I’m a lot more interested 
on how we can clear out.” 

“Well, well,” laughed his father. “You are 
hard to satisfy. You boys were anxious to meet 
wild Indians, but were mighty glad to get away 
from them, and you were crazy to see the lost city 
and now you think only of leaving here ! Gracious, 
I thought you wanted adventure and excitement. 
Aren’t you getting it.^” 


244 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


‘‘Well, enough’s as good as a feast, you know,” 
returned Harry. “I think we’ve had excitement 
enough to last us for some time and I guess 
we’ll find plenty of adventure getting away from 
here.” 

“But what’s the hurry?” enquired his father, 
teasingly. “A whole city full of most remarkable 
buildings all to ourselves. A nice, snug stone 
house, plenty of nourishing food and fresh water, 
not a care in the world and no danger from In- 
dians or wild beasts. Come, come, Harry, I shall 
never have such an opportunity again. I really 
wish to make the most of it, but we will look about 
and see if there’s a way out.” 

“Well, I suppose there’s plenty to interest us,” 
admitted Harry. “We’ll explore the valley while 
you’re studying the ruins. I guess there’s no 
danger here.” 

“Not the least,” his father assured them. 
“Unless the place should blow up. This place is 
an extinct volcano, you know.” 

“Whew, is that so?” exclaimed Fred. “Per- 
haps that’s why the people cleared out. Maybe 
they had an earthquake or something and were 
frightened.” 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD £45 


“That’s hardly likely,” declared Dr. Woodward. 
“In the first place, there are no signs of an earth- 
quake having taken place, — no cracks or shattered 
walls — and the people wouldn’t have known they 
dwelt in a crater.” 

“Well, what will we explore first. asked Harry 
as the boys rose. 

“Let’s go over to that tower with the idol on 
top,” suggested Fred. 

“That’s a good idea,” observed his uncle. 
“Tell me what you find there. I intend to 
examine it myself, very soon.” 

“Hello, it’s the same old Billikins,” cried Fred, 
as the boys approached the pyramid upon the 
plain and could distinguish the features of the 
idol. 

“Didn’t I tell you they were getting bigger all 
the time. Cricky, this is a whopper!” 

“And uglier than ever!” put in Harry. “Say, 
if that auctioneer was right and they’re mascots, 
these people ought to have had no end of good 
luck.” 

“Look here, there are steps up the monument,” 
exclaimed Fred. “Come on, let’s go up top.” 

“Father’ll go crazy over this,” observed Harry, 


246 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


as the boys climbed up the stone stairs. “Just 
look at all the carving on these steps.” 

“Gee, why didn’t these old chaps have eleva- 
tors!” exclaimed Fred, presently as he stopped 
panting for a rest. “I guess they didn’t want to 
encourage folks visiting the old god.” 

But at last they reached the summit at the base 
of the idol and gazed about at the valley and the 
town spread like a map before them. 

Seating themselves on the stone in the cool 
shadow of the great, black god the two boys 
rested, chatting and talking and presently Fred’s 
attention was attracted by the aqueduct stretch- 
ing in a thin, gray line across the valley. 

“Say, Harry,” he asked. “Where do you sup- 
pose the water comes from.^ I can’t see any signs 
of a pond or anything.” 

“That’s so,” assented his cousin. “We’ll have 
to follow it up and see. And say, how about ex- 
ploring that hole in the floor beside that other 
god.f^ Gosh, I’d forgotten all about that. Per- 
haps there’s a treasure or something down there!” 

“Maybe this fellow’s arm moves too!” ex- 
claimed Fred jumping up. 

“No it doesn’t,” declared Harry. “He’s hold- 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 247 


ing onto himself as if he had the stomach ache, 
just like the others. Come on, let’s go.” 

“Oh, Dad!” cried Harry when they again 
reached the town and found Dr. Woodward. 
“Let’s go and investigate that hole in the floor by 
old Billikins. We might And a lot of gold or 
something there.” 

“Nonsense!” replied his father. “I don’t be- 
lieve these people ever used gold. I haven’t 
seen a sign of it. Besides, it’s too late to at- 
tempt that this afternoon. What was the idol 
like?” 

“Oh, just the same old god,” replied Harry, 
“with a lot of steps leading up the pyramid and 
all covered with carving. Please come on. Dad, 
it’s not late, and besides, it’ll be dark down there 
so what’s the difference?” 

“Yes, do come,” teased Fred. “Maybe they 
kept that radium stuff down there.” 

“Very well, very well,” agreed his uncle. “It’s 
an interesting feature of the place. But we’ll 
have to have torches.” 

Gathering a number of resinous sticks, which 
they had noticed particularly because of the bright 
flames with which they burned, the three entered 


248 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


the temple and pushing back the idol’s arm 
exposed the opening in the floor. 

“We’ll have to prop this arm up, or wedge that 
panel in the stone/’ said Dr. Woodward. “We 
don’t want to be locked up down there.” 

“Golly, I guess no/.'” exclaimed Harry. “I 
vote we do both.” 

“Just as well to be on the safe side,” agreed his 
father. “Here, you won’t need your guns, place 
one of them under the arm here. Ah, that’s it! 
Now to chink this panel. Here, help me with this 
stone.” 

Lifting one of the loose blocks of carved stone 
they wedged it in the opening. 

“There, that’s safe,” declared Dr. Woodward. 
“If the gun slips, the panel can’t close. Now let’s 
have a look down here.” 

Lighting one of the resinous branches by means 
of the smouldering ember he had provided. Dr. 
Woodward thrust the blazing faggot into the dark 
opening and peered within. 

“Stairs!” he exclaimed, “And plenty of fresh 
air, judging from the draught. There must be 
another entrance. I guess it’s safe enough. Come 
along, boys.” 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 249 


Holding his torch above his head and care- 
fully testing each step as he advanced. Dr. Wood- 
ward descended the dark stairway with the boys 
beside him. Presently the stairs turned at a 
sharp angle and the glare of the flames were re- 
flected from some bright object set in the wall. 

“Jove!” exclaimed Dr. Woodward, “Here’s 
something interesting. Part of the mechanism 
of that sliding panel in the floor.” 

As he held the torch close, the light revealed a 
deep recess in the rock, with a heavy chain and 
several metal bars gleaming in the shadows. 

Dr. Woodward uttered a surprised ejaculation 
and opening his pocket knife began scraping at 
the metal. 

“Gad!” he exclaimed. “It doesn’t seem pos- 
sible, but it is. Look here, boys ! You spoke about 
treasure down here. Do you know what those bars 
and chain are made of ? It’s gold ! Solid gold ! ” 

For a moment, the two boys stared incredu- 
lously at the great yellow bars and links and then 
Harry burst into a hearty laugh. 

“Nonsense, you can’t get our goats that way!” 
he cried. “It’s just brass. Whoever heard of 
using gold for such things.'^” 


250 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


‘‘No, I’m perfectly serious,” his father assured 
him. “I don’t wonder you’re skeptical. But 
there’s no question about it. No other metal 
would remain untarnished for ages and I’ve just 
tested it with my knife. It’s gold, or rather an 
alloy of gold, — it’s many times harder than the 
pure metal.” 

“Whew!” exclaimed Fred, convinced of his 
uncle’s sincerity. “Why, there must be a fortune 
there ! ” 

“Undoubtedly,” agreed Dr. Woodward, “and 
that’s only a small part of the mechanism. We’ll 
have to investigate it later, it’s a most valuable 
discovery.” 

“Well, we don’t need to find that radium, now,” 
observed Harry as Dr. Woodward again started 
down the stairway. “We can just carry ofiF that 
gold.” 

His father chuckled: “How?” he asked. 
“You’ll have to tame a tapir and load it on him, 
I’m afraid.” 

“I don’t see why,” contended Harry. “We 
could carry a lot in our pockets.” 

“Yes, a few hundred dollars’ worth, — provided 
you had means of cutting it up,” replied Dr. 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 251 


Woodward. “Do you realize that gold’s worth 
only three hundred dollars a pound, — you’d find 
carrying ten pounds would be more than you 
bargained for, after you’d tramped over the 
mountains and through the jungle a few days.” 

“That’s so,” sighed Harry. “But we can come 
back some time and get it.” 

“Ah, that’s different,” aflSrmed his father. “I 
most certainly shall come back with a well 
equipped expedition, — if we get safely to civiliza- 
tion. Hello, here we are ! ” 

As he spoke the stairs came to an end and the 
three found themselves in a low-ceiled, arched 
passageway. The stone walls were dark and 
slimy, patches of a sickly-gray lichen showed here 
and there and it smelled musty and mouldy, but 
the air was fresh and the stones underfoot smooth 
and by the flare of the blazing sticks they hurried 
along the subterranean passage. 

“Say, I wonder if this goes clear through the 
mountains!” exclaimed Fred, after they had 
walked for some time. 

“Perhaps it’s a secret way out of the valley,” said 
Dr. Woodward. “There’s another opening some- 
where, as I said before. Ah, there’s light ahead.” 


252 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Sure enough, far down the underground pas- 
sage was a faint gleam and with high hopes of 
finding they had discovered an outlet to the valley, 
they hurried towards the light. 

Then, as they drew near, they saw that the 
tunnel ended in a flight of steps and that the light 
came from above these. Mounting the steps, 
which zig-zagged back and forth in a rude spiral. 
Dr. Woodward and the boys toiled upward, while 
the light grew brighter and brighter coming ap- 
parently from some opening far above. 

“ Golly, this is as bad as climbing that pyramid,” 
gasped Fred. “I wonder if we’ll ever get to the 
top.” 

‘T’ll bet we’ll be on top of the mountain when 
we get there,” declared Harry. 

“Hardly that,” corrected his father. “The 
mountain is fully five hundred feet high and we’ve 
climbed about sixty feet, as near as I can judge.” 

“Well, we’re most there,” panted Fred. 

A moment later, they reached the last step and 
found themselves in a tiny chamber with two 
oblong windows on one side and into which the 
sun was streaming. 

“Oh darn!” exclaimed Harry. “It doesn’t 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 253 


lead anywhere. There’s no door or anything.” 
Then stepping to one of the windows he glanced 
out. 

“Say, come here,” he cried. “You can’t 
guess where we are!” 

“Jove!” exclaimed Dr. Woodward as he too 
looked from the opening. 

“Jiminy!” ejaculated Fred. “We’re in old 
Billikins!” 

There was no doubt about it. Before them, 
and far below, stretched the valley with the city 
gleaming golden in the rays of the sinking sun, 
and looking down, they could see the black stone 
knees and swollen stomach of the idol and the long 
flight of steps leading down the massive pyramid. 

“Yes, we’re looking out of the idol’s eyes,” 
agreed Dr. Woodward. “Most interesting. No 
doubt the heathen priests hoodwinked the people 
many a time from here. Made the god talk like 
the ancient oracles. No wonder the poor creatures 
worshipped it.” 

“But it doesn’t help us much,” observed 
Harry. “I was just sure we’d And it led out of 
the old place.” 

“Don’t be dejected, Harry,” said his father 


254 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


consolingly. “We’ll find a way yet. But we 
must be getting back. The sun will be down 
presently.” 

As they reached the bottom of the long flight 
of stairs and turned to retrace their way along 
the passage, Fred noticed a dark opening in a 
corner of the wall and half hidden behind the 
stairway. 

“Hello!” he exclaimed. “Here’s an opening we 
didn’t see. Let me take the torch a minute.” 

Taking the blazing bunch of sticks, Fred thrust 
it into the narrow aperture, gave one glance within 
and with a terrified yell leaped back. 

“Gosh almighty!” he gasped out. “There’s a 
man in there ! ” 

“Impossible!” exclaimed his uncle, seizing the 
torch and peering into the hole. 

Stretched upon the stone floor was a human 
figure, the form of a man, strangely stiff and 
angular, oddly hard-looking, reddish-brown in 
color, and for a moment Dr. Woodward thought 
it a figure carved from stone. Then, as he peered 
intently at the strange form the truth dawned 
upon him and, bending low, he stepped through 
the opening. 


A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 255 


“Come on, boys!” he cried. “He’s dead, — 
he can’t harm you.” 

Hesitatingly, wonderingly, the boys followed 
and drew close to Dr. Woodward, and, as they 
looked half-fearfully at the gruesome object, 
sharp exclamations of surprise burst from their 
lips. 

Grinning up at them, was a human skull; white, 
bony fingers gleamed in the fiaring light from the 
torch; bleached bones of feet and ankles showed 
through cracked, broken leather; but from ankles 
to neck the body was hidden by rust-covered 
metal. The skeleton was clad in full armor! 

“Golly!” ejaculated Fred in an awed whisper, 
“Who, — who do you suppose it is.? I didn’t know 
these people wore armor.” 

“ It’s not one of them,” replied Dr. Woodward. 
“It’s a civilized man, — a European, — probably a 
Spaniard. A man taken prisoner by these long- 
dead people perhaps; possibly some Don who 
reached the city after it was deserted and died 
here, — cut off from all his comrades. God only 
knows what story, what suffering, what romance 
lies hidden in that pile of bones beneath that 
rusting coat of mail.” 


256 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Holding the torch low, he stooped and ex- 
amined the skeleton more closely, and, as he did 
so, his eyes rested on a small square object half 
hidden by the bones of one hand. 

“What’s this,” he muttered as he reached down 
to pick the thing up. 

At his touch, the bones crumpled into powdery 
dust, and lifting the object, he found it a box or 
case of crackled horn. 

Within it something rattled and as he carefully 
forced the half-decayed receptacle open the boys 
pressed close, forgetting, in their curiosity to learn 
what the box contained, the grisly skeleton so near. 

“By Jove!” exclaimed Dr. Woodward as the 
lid lifted and disclosed a yellow square of folded 
parchment. 

“ Gosh ! it’s a letter,” cried Fred as, very gently, 
his uncle unfolded the stiffened, crackling sheet, 
upon the inner surface of which was faded, closely- 
spaced writing. 

“Yes, a letter or a document,” assented Dr. 
Woodward, as he studied the characters closely, 
“and in ancient Spanish script. It will be diffi- 
cult to read. We’ll have to wait until we have 
better light. Heaven only knows ” 



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A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD 257 


At this instant there was a soft rustle from the 
darkness, the boys jumped, a ghostly hand 
seemed to brush Fred’s cheek and with a terrified, 
agonized shriek he threw himself upon his uncle. 
His impact jerked the torch from Dr. Woodward’s 
hand; before he could stoop to grasp it, it had 
spluttered out and they were in utter darkness, 
alone with the mail-clad skeleton and the message 
from the dead. 

17 


CHAPTER XIV 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 

“Stop, don’t be foolish!” commanded Dr. 
Woodward, as the two frightened boys pressed 
close to him trembling and with chattering 
teeth. “There’s nothing to fear. Why, you’re like 
children, — afraid of the dark!” 

“But, — but something touched me!” groaned 
Fred. 

“Only a bat,” exclaimed his uncle. “For 
Heaven’s sake you’re not afraid of ghosts, are 
you?” 

“Well, it’s — it’s mighty creepy here!” gasped 
Harry. “With that skeleton and all.” 

“You’re great adventurers,” laughed his father. 
“Frightened at a bat and the dark and a harmless 
old skeleton! And you’re the boys who were 
about to be tortured by Kunas, and who were 
chased by Indians, and who killed a black jaguar! 
Why, I’m ashamed of you.” 

“Yes, I, — I suppose we were silly,” admitted 

258 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


259 


Fred striving to pull himself together. “But, 
please let’s get out.” 

“That’s better,” commented Dr. Woodward. 
“Now hold onto my coat and we’ll try to feel our 
way along the tunnel. Luckily there are no turns 
or side passageways and the floor’s smooth. All 
ready Come along, then!” 

With the two boys grasping his clothes. Dr. 
Woodward felt his way from the chamber and with 
one outstretched hand touching the wall he moved 
slowly down the passage towards the distant 
stairs. The way seemed interminable, but at 
last, a faint, gray glimmer showed ahead, and 
presently, they reached the stone steps. 

Not until they were once more in the temple 
beside the idol did the boys breathe freely and it 
was with something of relief that they lifted the 
piece of stone from the sliding panel, and.removing 
the gun from where it supported the idol’s arm, saw 
the hand drop slowly into place and the opening in 
the floor begin to close. As the panel slid forward, a 
bit of stone slipped from the edge of the opening 
and fell rattling out of sight. 

Instantly there was a grinding jar, a crushing 
sound of breaking rock and the panel stopped. 


260 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


leaving a narrow, three-inch opening in the floor. 

“What happened?” exclaimed Harry. 

“That bit of stone must have clogged the 
mechanism somehow,” replied his father. “Per- 
haps we can force it shut by the arm.” 

But despite their utmost exertions, the idol’s 
arm remained immovable. 

“No use,” declared Dr. Wood, “but it makes no 
difference, whether it’s open or shut.” 

“Golly! perhaps it won’t open either,” cried 
Fred, “and then we can’t get that gold.” 

Seizing the idol’s arm, they strove to swing it up 
and thus again open the slide in the floor, but their 
efforts were useless. The arm refused to budge 
an inch. The machinery below was locked fast. 

“Never mind,” said Dr. Woodward. “We 
cou" 'n’t remove the gold without proper tools and 
we couldn’t carry it off as it is. If we should re- 
turn we Ocin open the place easily enough, — a 
stick of dynar»,*te wouM do the trick.” 

It was now quTe dark and the three hurried to 
their building, fanned the smouldering embers 
into flame and were soon dining on venison stew. 

During the meal they talked of the dead Spaniard 
and the parchment they had found, but as there 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


261 


was no light by which to read it they were com- 
pelled to forego their desire to learn its contents 
until daylight. 

When, after breakfast on the following morning, 
Dr. Woodward drew the horn casket containing 
the document from his pocket the boys were all 
expectancy and excitement for, to them, this 
message from the dead was a most thrilling and 
romantic thing. 

Spreading the parchment on his knees, Dr. 
Woodward studied the elaborate, ornate script 
for a few minutes, a puzzled frown now and then 
wrinkling his forehead, and peering close to 
decipher some blurred or faded word. 

“I think I can manage it,” he announced, “al- 
though the writer was shaky on his spelling and, as 
was the custom in those days, he used abbrevia- 
tions very freely. Probably I’ll be obliged to 
omit or skip a bit here and there, but I think we 
can get the drift of it.” Then, clearing his throat, 
he began and, omitting the flowery phraseology, 
his translation was as follows: 

‘^By the mercy of God, I, Don Juan Casanova de 
Moringa, am writing this in the year of the Lord’s 


262 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


Grace 1517, that if, by the mercy of the Blessed 
Virgin, it should come unto other hands they may 
know of my fate and may learn what befell and may, be 
they Christians, — say prayers for my soul and if, by 
reading these lines, they gain the vast treasure whereof 
I speak, I do most humbly beg that Masses be held 
for me, that dying here in this underground tomb 
within this city of Puroga, must go unshriven to my 
death. For well I know that life is now for me but a 
space of hours. . . . having learned, from captives 
taken of the savages, of a great city wherein was 
stored vast riches in gold and gems, Don Pedro de 
Arias, the Viceroy, would send forth an expedition of 
men-at-arms to take the place and thus add riches 
unto his own benefit and to the King and win glory 
in the sight of God and the Church by carrying 
Christianity among the heathen. But those savages 
we had taken being most obstinately minded, and 
refusing to become Christians, did also vow that they 
knew not wherein the city lay, — having but heard of it 
from others — and even fire and the rack loosened not 
their tongues more, and so, still lying, they died as 
infidels. But it came about that in charge of a party 
of stout hearted Gallicians, by the grace of God I over- 
came the town of savages of another race and who, to 
save their miserable lives, — though it served them not, 
for having refused the True Faith we threw them to 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


263 


our dogs, — gave information as to the city and its 
riches, saying that it was upon a mountain top and 
that no man might enter save by a narrow pass 
wherein a great devil sat ever on guard to overwhelm 
all who essayed to enter. . . that though devils 
might resist arms they were of no avail against Holy 
Water. I gathered unto my cavalcade two worthy 
Friars . . . marched through the jungle, meeting most 
hideous, fearsome reptiles and creatures such as no 
man ever had seen and great serpents spitting flames 
that scorched the trees, as well as basilisks and dragons, 
we came unto a vast wall of rock whereby we knew 
that the city we sought lay beyond, and by much 
travail found the pass by which only might we enter. 
Most dark and fearsome was this, but none opposed 
us . . . when most horrible, and like unto the screams 
of souls in Purgatory, came unto us howls that made 
us know our presence was known by the devil guardian. 
So, not wishing to destroy my men-at-arms through 
attack upon a demon, I called upon the Friars to lead 
and to chant prayers and scatter Holy Water that the 
devil might be driven forth . . . came most hurriedly, 
bearing tale that the devil, most monstrous to behold, 
had minded not their oflSces and defying God had 
destroyed Fray Jerome. . . . and advanced upon the 
fearsome thing which howled most fearsomely as he 
saw our mail and arms . . . letting fly a volley of 


264 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


arquebus . . . harmed him not and, ere we could 
advance, from the top of the cliffs the savages, — 
aroused no doubt by the cries of their demon, — 
poured unto us vast rocks and showers of darts and 
arrows which caused great pain and travail and in- 
convenience to my men, who were, perforce, — being 
unable to reach those upon the mountain, — compelled 
to withdraw . . . after the third attack deemed wise 
to send courier unto Don Pedro to summon reinforce- 
ments . . . awaiting his coming, but among my men 
the plague, — which already had visited the settlements, 
brought many low and was more deadly than the 
arrows of the savages . . . disheartened vowed to 
return empty-handed to the coast, being but a handful, 
and I. . . seeing which, — no doubt from lookouts 
upon the heights — came forth to attack, slaying all 
save those who fell wounded, and myself, who fighting 
stoutly, I was surrounded and brought to earth, for 
these savages were not them to whom we had been 
accustomed, but were most large and vigorous and 
not of a copper color but fair and yellow, not darker 
than those of my own race from southern Spain, . . . 
knowing I was the leader, led me unharmed and 
captive unto their city which, — in passing the narrow 
way, — I saw the devil to be naught but an image of 
stone, whereat I was mightily wroth to think we had 
been kept back by such means, and which howled only 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


265 


by the wind roaring through holes made therefor 
within its head; but most fearsomely hideous, as are 
all the gods before which these heathens worship . . . 
before their king within a temple most richly . . . 
carved and garnished . . . robes of feathers with 
ornaments of emeralds and other gems most beauteous 
and rich . . . shields and harness of gold . . . the 
Goodness of God I had not discarded my armor, for 
the heathens of the city most wonderingly did look 
upon it, mistaking it for some hard skin like unto the 
covering of a tortoise, and striking it with their 
weapons, — which being of stone or gold injured it not, 
— flung themselves at my feet, thinking me perchance 
an image of stone with life . . . days I had dwelt 
within the city when great weakness and heat did come 
upon me with mist before mine eyes and with the pains 
I knew to be that of the plague ... by which I 
suffered yet the more, as I dared not to remove my 
mail. And though I knew that death would be mine 
ere long, yet mightily was I rejoiced, for I knew that 
those about me also would fall to it, — the sickness 
ever spreading more deadly among the savages than 
the Spaniards — and thus by the Grace of God might 
my poor self destroy these infidels that arms had failed 
to overcome, and leave the way open for other Christ- 
ians to enter into the city . . . but through the mercy 
of God and the Blessed Virgin the plague took not my 


266 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


life, but passed me by, and soon, what I thought, had 
come to pass and the savages sickened and died. 
Much I lamented that there were no Friars there to 
win the infidels to the Church, whereby some might 
have been saved — for they were stout and strong and 
would have made good slaves — while souls which 
fied from idolatrous bodies might have been spared 
torments of Hell. . . . brought me before them, com- 
manding that I cause the sickness to cease . . . saying 
none had ever visited them before and that, having 
brought the curse upon them, I must perforce remove 
it . . . whereat I could not and ordered that I be 
cast into a dungeon there to stay until the plague was 
removed. . . . the temple stood an image, like unto 
that within the pass, whose arm being moved opened a 
hole within the floor into which I was thrown, and 
over me closed the stone. ... air and ascending 
the stairs was within the great image of the savages’ 
devil whereat they worshipped . . . days food and 
water were given me and wandering about I found the 
hidden door cleverly opened by a secret stone within 
the wall, and wherein was stored that vast treasure we 
had sought. . . . wealth more than man had ever 
dreamed in fashionings of gold, silver and platina, with 
gems of great worth and many colors . . . chains and 
bars for the engines whereby the secret doors are 
worked, but all of no avail to me, for knowing the 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


267 


plague would cease not as long as those lived for it to 
prey upon, I would remain here until, by the pleasure 
of God, death took me ... no food or water had 
come, which I knew was brought about by all the 
infidels having sickened, for looking from out the 
eyes of the image, I saw none moving on the streets or 
about the town and at the feet of the idol laid many 
corpses and flocks of great, black, carrion birds 
hovered about the city . . . death near I minded to 
write this script that, should Don Pedro send hither 
a force and find the city but a city of the dead, and 
perchance entered into this place, — as they most 
surely will when they destroy the huge devil on the 
plain and disclose the opening within, — my country- 
men may secure that great treasure which lies back 
of the wall, twenty paces from the bottom of the 
stairs to the image and whereon I have cut a cross 
that none may fail to find it, and, that also having 
found it, they may have Masses and prayers said 
for my soul and may know that, by the Grace of 
God and through my humble and sinful body, the 
miracle was wrought whereby the city of these sav- 
ages was made defenceless and its people destroyed 
where arms had failed . . . wherefor, . . . hand 
weakens . . . writ by mine own blood . . . strength 
to commit it to mine tinderbox and the care of 
God. ...” 


268 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


As Dr. Woodward ended, the boys, who had 
been listening, wide-eyed and almost breathless, 
to the romantic tale so naively and simply told 
and so utterly ruthless and cruel, drew long, deep 
breaths. 

“Gosh! Gee whittaker!” exclaimed Fred. 
“Just think of that! After all these years! And 
the same old idols here and the sliding floor and 
all ! Golly ! and all that treasure ! I knew there was 
treasure there!” 

“Jiminy crickets!” burst out Harry. “That 
beats the radium stuff ! Say, wasn’t he a cruel old 
rascal though? Imagine him gloating over bring- 
ing the plague here and killing these poor people! 
And all the time talking about it being the grace 
of God ! Say, I’m not a bit sorry for him and — he’s 
solved your puzzle. Dad, — all the' folks here died of 
plague!” 

At Harry’s words a sudden expression of horror 
swept over his father’s features, and with a sharp 
exclamation, he threw the parchment and the horn 
box into the flames. 

“Oh, Dad!” cried Harry. “What did you do 
that for?” 

For an instant his father was silent, racking his 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


269 


brains for some excuse and striving to find some 
way of keeping his terrible fears from reaching the 
boys. 

“Just to be on the safe side,” he replied at last, 
trying to speak lightly. “The old things might 
carry disease. It’s hardly probable, but one never 
can tell. They would soon have gone to pieces 
anyway.” 

“Confound it all, that’s too bad,” lamented 
Fred. “I thought we’d take them home with us.” 

“And we can’t get any of that treasure, now,” 
moaned Harry. “Gosh, I wish we hadn’t shut that 
hole in the floor. We could have taken away some 
of those emeralds and things, anyway.” 

“Now don’t fret over that, boys,” cried his 
father cheerfully. “If all .goes well we’ll come 
back here and get it all. It’s safe enough here. If 
no one’s come here for four hundred years they’re 
not likely to come in the next few months and 
it’s safer than ever now — the place is locked 
tight.” 

“I guess old Don Pedro never showed up,” 
observed Harry, “and if he did he didn’t find the 
passage. At least, he didn’t knock the old idol 
over as this chap expected.” 


270 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Probably the messengers never reached him/’ 
said Dr. Woodward, “and in that case the party 
who attacked this city were given up as lost and 
no attempt made to find them — such things were 
common enough in those days.” 

“Well, somehow that letter makes this place 
seem older and more wonderful to me,” declared 
Fred. “Before, I could never imagine any people 
here, but now, I can just see the old Don going 
about in his armor and standing there in the temple 
before the chief and wandering through the tunnel 
and looking out of the idol’s eyes and all. Gee^ 
it does seem funny and creepy to think of us doing 
the same thing after four hundred years!” 

“I hope we don’t keep on doing as he did,” put 
in Harry. “I’d hate to die here and just leave a 
letter for some person to find four hundred years 
later. And he says there’s only one way to get in 
here. Say, do let’s get to work and see if we can’t 
find a way out.” 

“I think it’s a wise plan, myself,” agreed his 
father. “We’ll start just now and keep it up until 
we’ve explored the entire valley or find a way out.” 

Their first day’s search was fruitless however, 
and the boys were so tired that they were glad in- 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


271 


deed to throw themselves down to sleep as soon as 
they had eaten. 

But Dr. Woodward slept little. He was haunted 
by heart-racking fears and forebodings, dreading 
what might follow the finding of that mail-clad 
skeleton and the letter. So interested in reading 
it had he been that the danger which lurked within 
it had not occurred to him until afterwards, when 
the boy’s casual remarks about the people dying 
from the plague had brought it sharply to his 
mind. The old Spaniards had been ill with the 
plague, there was every likelihood that the germs 
might yet linger in the parchment or the horn box. 
All three had handled it, already one or all might 
have contracted the malady. For days he could 
not know; he could only watch the boys and him- 
self, and hope and pray that they escaped. And 
worst of all, there was no means of knowing what 
the first symptoms would be. The Don had merely 
spoken of the disease as a plague; but that term 
might mean anything. It might have been small- 
pox, cholera. Bubonic plague, typhus or yellow 
fever, or again, it might have been typhoid, diph- 
theria or a virulent type of malaria, while, on the 
other hand, it might have been some compara- 

l8 


272 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


lively harmless malady such as chicken pox or 
measles. For the scientist knew that such mild 
diseases played havoc with the people of ages past 
and that the Indians, — unaccustomed to the dis- 
eases of the white men, — had been swept off in 
thousands by measles, whooping cough and similar 
things. Whatever it was, there was absolutely 
nothing he could do; he was powerless to help; 
the only medicines they had were the simple 
remedies contained in their first-aid kits and even 
the quinine was almost exhausted. The only hope, 
in case any of them had contracted the plague, was 
in reaching civilization or the coast before it 
developed, and for this reason he was determined 
to devote every moment to searching for a pass 
or canyon by which they could escape. But he 
was also determined not to let the boys know of 
the danger or to guess at his worry; that would 
only make matters worse. As it was, they had 
doubtless forgotten his lightly spoken words as he 
destroyed the parchment and, if he kept from any 
further reference to the matter, they would not 
think of it. There was nothing else he could do 
and at last, despite his worries, he slept. 

Day after day Dr. Woodward and the boys ex- 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


27S 


plored the valley and its encircling mountains. 
They climbed up innumerable narrow trails hoping 
they led to ways by which they could escape, but 
only to be disappointed. They searched the bases 
of the cliffs, thinking there might be some passage- 
way or tunnel concealed in the undergrowth or by 
fallen rocks. Systematically they hunted, each 
day covering a small section of the valley and 
mountains, and bravely determined to continue 
until the entire area had been covered although, as 
Dr. Woodward told them, it would mean weeks of 
daily toil. And as the days passed and there were 
no signs of illness apparent. Dr. Woodward’s heart 
grew lighter and he dared to hope that, after all, 
the long-dead Spaniard had not passed his curse 
on to them. 

One day too, they had discovered the source of 
the water supply and by tracing the aqueduct had 
come upon a great basin in a hollow on the moun- 
tain top, — a black, dismal-looking lake which the 
scientist assured them was another crater, — high 
above the city and from which, through a narrow 
crevice in the rock which had been walled up with 
masonry, the ancient aqueduct carried the water 
to the valley. 

i8 


274 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“There’s proof that no serious earthquake has 
occurred here,” remarked Dr. Woodward, as they 
stood gazing at the city far below. “It wouldn’t 
take much of a quake to break that masonry and 
crack that thin wall of rock and let the lake out.” 

“Whew, if that happened it would be good-bye 
to the city!” exclaimed Fred. 

Dr. Woodward glanced at the lake and then at 
the valley. “It’s hard to say,” he declared. “It 
all depends upon the depth of this lake. If it’s 
shallow it wouldn’t amount to much, spread upon 
the valley, but if it’s very deep — and these crater 
lakes usually are — it might flood it to a depth of 
many feet.” 

Leaving the lake behind, the three resumed their 
way and as the sun was getting low descended the 
mountain side and crossed the plain to the city. 
Three days later they had completed their searcch 
as far as the pass by which they had entered, 
without finding another spot where human beings 
could cross the ridges. 

“If we don’t find any other place we may have 
to try the canyon,” announced Dr. Woodward. 
“I don’t believe the Kunas will hang about there 
long.” 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


275 


‘‘I’d hate to try it,” declared Harry. “That 
one chase was enough for me.” 

“It would only be as a last resort,” said his 
father. “But we haven’t explored half of the 
valley yet.” 

It was a few days after this conversation that, as 
they were returning from their day’s tramp. Dr. 
Woodward suddenly halted, a strange expression 
upon his face, his head turned as though listening 
intently and at the same instant the boys had a 
queer sensation, a peculiar dizzy feeling lasting 
only for a moment. 

“What is it?” queried Harry anxiously. 

As he spoke he felt as though jarred by a distant 
explosion and his father’s face assumed an anxious 
look. 

“Gun-fire I guess,” he replied, forcing a smile, 
“perhaps some warship at target practice off the 
coast, — we’re not over fifty miles from the sea, 
you know.” 

Fred had been intently watching his uncle’s 
face as he spoke. “You know it’s not. Uncle 
Frank,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to tell us. 
Wasn’t that an earthquake?” 

“I’m afraid it was,” Dr. Woodward admitted. 


276 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“but a very slight one — such quakes are of frequent 
occurrence on the Isthmus. There’s no need to 
worry.” 

Harry glanced half-fearfully towards the distant 
lake. “I hope that dam doesn’t give way,” he 
remarked. “I’d hate like the dickens to be down 
here then.” 

“It hasn’t given way in four hundred years, — or 
four times four hundred probably,” laughed his 
father. “That should be enough to keep you from 
worry.” 

The boys had shot a good sized deer that morn- 
ing, and now had but two cartridges left and as 
they sat about, eating their evening meal, they 
discussed ways and means for securing food after 
they had fired their last shots. 

“You’d better not use them,” advised Dr. 
Woodward. “If we get away from here you may 
need them badly, — they may be the only means of 
securing food, whereas, here, we can get on for 
some time with the dried meat from the tapir you 
killed last week and with fresh vegetables. Be- 
sides, I think we can secure deer and other 
game by trapping. We’ll have a try at that 
to ” His sentence was cut short as the stones 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


277 


beneath them seemed to rise, there was an omi- 
nous crackling sound from the walls about; a 
deafening crash from the direction of the town and 
the boys felt as if they were on a ship at sea. 

It was all over in an instant and the three sat 
staring with white faces and frightened expressions 
at one another. 

“Say, let’s get out of here!” yelled Fred, sud- 
denly leaping up. “Jiminy that was an earth- 
quake 1 ” 

“You bet!” echoed Harry. “Another like that 
will bust things up.” 

“Gad, yes!” agreed his father. “If there’s 
another shock these old walls may tumble about 
our ears. Come on, boys, bring that deer and any- 
thing else you can carry. We’ll camp out on the 
open plain tonight.” 

Picking up what articles they could carry and 
lighting their way with a faggot of burning sticks, 
the boys and Dr. Woodward hurried from the 
building and sought shelter under a clump of trees 
in the open. 

“Gosh! that ought to have cracked the dam,” 
said Harry as they rekindled a fire beneath the 
trees. 


278 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


‘‘But you see it didn’t,” replied his father. 
“Very likely it was far less up there. Oftentimes 
those sharp, short shocks are quite local.” 

“Won’t there be more?” queried Fred, anxiously. 

“It’s impossible to say,” answered Dr. Wood- 
ward, “but I doubt it.” 

For a time, the boys were extremely nervous, 
listening anxiously to every sound, starting vio- 
lently when a dead branch fell from a nearby tree 
and keeping close to Dr. Woodward. But as the 
hours passed and there was no repetition of the 
shock, their fears gradually died away and when 
the full moon rose above the mountain tops and 
flooded the valley with its silvery light they 
stretched themselves upon the grass and at last 
fell asleep. 

When they woke the next morning, the earth- 
quake seemed merely a dream and the boys 
felt rather foolish at having been so easily terrified. 
They had finished breakfast and were about to 
start out, and were talking over the question of 
traps, when the boys were swayed suddenly as if 
by an unseen force, the earth beneath their feet 
seemed to roll in billows like the sea, the trees 
above them creaked and shook, and a dull, rumb- 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


279 


ling roar like distant thunder drowned the far- 
away rattle and crash of falling walls from the 
direction of the town. So frightened and terror- 
stricken were the boys that they could not cry out. 
Nothing they had experienced, nothing they had 
undergone, had so filled them with sickening dread. 
With reeling brains and nauseated stomachs, 
they stood, staring with starting eyes at the moun- 
tain by the lake; expecting each second to see the 
water burst forth and come plunging in a torrent to 
the valley. But aside from a faint cloud of dust 
drifting above the ancient town where crumbling 
walls had been knocked down, there was no sign of 
damage and, presently, they breathed more freely. 

“That was the most severe shock yet,” declared 
Dr. Woodward. “Probably it’s the last. Even 
that didn’t affect the dam up there.” 

“Gosh, I hope ’tis the last!” gasped Harry. 
“Another like that will frighten me to death.” 

“And another like that will about finish the 
city,” asserted Fred. ‘‘Say, that was a corker. 
I vote we beat it for the hills over there. I’d like 
to be on high ground if that dam gives way.” 

“I think it’s a wise plan,” agreed his uncle. 
“If there are no further shocks we can return.” 


280 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“Golly! I do wish we were out of here,” ex- 
claimed Harry, as they hurried across the valley. 
“That auctioneer was way off about that idol being 
good luck. We’ve had nothing but bad luck on 
this trip.” 

“Tut, tut, don’t get pessimistic!” his father ad- 
monished him. “7 think we’ve been most lucky. 
Lucky in escaping death by the Kunas, lucky in 
evading them in the forest, lucky in finding this 
remarkable city and, if I were at all superstitious, 
I should wager that we’ll still be lucky and get 
away from here safely.” 

But he had hardly ceased speaking when once 
more the earth shook and the boys, now thoroughly 
panic stricken, started to run. The shock, however, 
was very light and Dr. Woodward shouted to them, 
trying to rally their courage and warning them that 
they would merely exhaust their strength. 

“It’s only a short distance,” he cried. “Why, 
even if the dam burst, we could make it before the 
water reached here.” 

Although at his words, the boys slowed down 
they still hurried for all they were worth and con- 
stantly glanced apprehensively back at the moun- 
tain side. They had now reached the centre of 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


281 


the plain when, faintly to their ears, came a strange 
sound, — an intermittent noise like the rattle of 
rolling stones, and with one accord, the three 
halted in their tracks and gazed fearfully towards 
the dam, for to them the sound meant but one 
thing, — that the frail barrier that held back the 
lake was giving way. 

But there was no sign, nothing to show that 
this was so, and puzzled, they stood listening 
and waiting, mystified and, — with that strange 
fascination which sometimes comes to people in 
the face of greatest peril, — forgetting to hurry 
on their way towards safety. 

And then once more, the faint, far-away sound 
broke the silence, rising and falling; one mo- 
ment clear and distinct, the next instant hardly 
audible. 

“What.?^ Oh, Dad what is it.^^” groaned 
Harry. 

For a brief moment Dr. Woodward did not 
reply and raised his hand to enjoin silence. Then 
a look of wonder and unbelief crossed his face. 

“It’s an airplane!” he exclaimed. 

“An airplane!” repeated Harry. “Where.?^” 

“Somewhere in the distance,” responded his 


282 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


father. “It is a bit startling to think of such a 
thing at first. But it’s not remarkable. Planes 
are constantly fiying over the Isthmus. ” 

“Gee whizz! I wish he’d come here!” cried 
Fred. “Say, perhaps he will! You remember 
the Colonel told us about one that did ! ” 

“It’s too small a chance,” declared his uncle, 
as once more they turned towards the mountains. 

Then, far louder and clearer, came the sharp, 
staccato noise of the machine and instinctively the 
three halted and glanced up. 

For a moment they saw only the deep, blue sky 
flecked with the small, white clouds and then, with 
a wild shout, Harry flung his hat aloft and danced 
and yelled. 

“I see him!” he shouted. “There, just by that 
cloud! Look, Dad! Look!” 

And as they gazed, the others also saw the tiny 
black speck, like a soaring buzzard, thousands of 
feet above their heads. 

“Hurrah!” screamed Fred. “He is over here! 
Perhaps he’ll see us!” and then, before the others 
knew what he was about, he turned and dashed 
madly towards the nearest trees where he began 
frantically to gather dead branches and brush. 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


283 


“Come on!” he shouted. “Come on and help! 
We’ll build a big fire and signal him!” 

“It’s useless labor,” declared Dr. Woodward. 
“Even if he saw the fire, he’d think it merely an 
Indian camp, or a fire built by the inhabitants of 
the city. ” 

But the two boys paid no heed to his words and 
with arms full of dry brush hurried to the open and 
threw it in a pile upon the grass. 

“Oh, Dad, hurry and light it!” begged Harry. 
“He may see it. Please, Dad!” 

“All right, my boy,” assented his father as he 
stooped and opened his pocket lens. “But I feel 
sure it’s useless. ” 

A moment later, the fuel was blazing and crack- 
ling, and throwing on green leaves, the boys 
produced a billgwing column of dense, black 
smoke. But as they again searched the sky, 
their hearts sank, — the tiny speck of an airplane 
was speeding away. Already it was almost out 
of view. 

“Oh darn!” ejaculated Fred. “He’s gone.” 

Utterly dejected, overcome at seeing the air- 
plane leave, the two boys threw themselves upon 
the grass and tears filled their eyes. The next 


284 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


instant, an exclamation from Dr. Woodward 
brought them to their feet with a bound. 

“By Jove!” burst out the scientist. “He^s 
coming back! And lower too!” 

“There, he’s dropping!” yelled Fred. “Look! 
Oh, look, he’s circling, now!” 

“No, there he goes again!” screamed Harry. 
“Oh, gosh!” 

By now the airplane was much nearer, — the 
outlines of the machine could be plainly seen, — 
and the boys and Dr. Woodward grew wild with 
hope or heartsick with disappointment as the air- 
craft alternately seemed about to approach or to 
speed away. 

“Wave your hats, boys, and your handker- 
chiefs!” cried Dr. Woodward as he set the ex- 
ample. 

“And your coats and shirts!” screamed Fred, 
as suiting his actions to his words, he stripped off 
coat and shirt and waved them frantically. 

“Hurrah! He’s seen us! He’s coming down!” 
fairly shrieked Harry as the machine swooped like 
a giant hawk until it was scarcely higher than the 
mountain tops and the roar of its exhaust echoed 
like thunder from the crags. 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


285 


“Gad! I believe he has!” cried his father. 
“Wave, boys, wave!” 

Steeply banking, the airplane swept like a gray 
meteor above them, upon its rudder the red, white 
and blue of an army plane gleaming clear in the 
sun; in a great graceful curve it circled the valley 
and then, as the leaping, dancing, shouting, 
frantic three yelled themselves hoarse, the machine 
turned. For an instant it seemed to hang motion- 
less and then, with the deafening roar of its motors 
drowning their shouts, it came hurtling towards 
them; the rapid fire explosions suddenly ceased; 
like a gigantic gray bird it dropped towards the 
earth, and swishing through the grass, bumping 
over the level ground, it came to rest within fifty 
feet of the boys. 

Like beings bereft of their senses, they dashed 
towards it, shouting, yelling, laughing, throwing 
aside guns, coats and shirts, — forgetting every- 
thing except that they were saved. 

Slowly, wonderingly, a leather clad begoggled 
man rose from the pilot’s seat and gazed in amaze- 
ment at the three dishevelled, ragged figures racing 
towards him. Then, leaping from the machine, he 
sprang forward and grasped their hands. 


286 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


“By all that’s holy ! ” he exclaimed. “You must 
be Dr. Woodward and the boys. ” 

“Gosh, yes!” cried Harry. 

“You bet your life!” yelled Fred. 

“Jove! how did you know.'^” exclaimed the 
scientist. 

“Colonel Dixon told me you were down this 
way somewhere,” replied the aviator. “But 
Great Caesar, I never expected to see you! Just 
by bull luck I found you! Colonel asked me to 
have a look next time I flew, — just to settle a 
bet, — said one of the men had reported a big town 
here and he told you about it. Afterwards every- 
one joshed him about it. Got so roiled over it he 
swore he’d prove it. Then I saw your smoke and 
took a squint through the glasses and made out 
you fellows waving. Thought something must be 
wrong, but I hesitated, — afraid it might be In- 
dians trying to get me down. Glad I had a hunch 
and made it, boys. ” 

“Thank God you did!” cried Dr. Woodward 
fervently. “We’re marooned here. Escaped 
from a horde of savage Kuna Indians and reached 
here by a canyon, but there seems no other way 
to get out. And we’re in deadly peril. We’ve 


OUT OF THE CLOUDS 


287 


been having heavy earthquakes and there’s a lake 
yonder on the mountain which may break loose 
any moment. I didn’t wish to alarm the boys, but 
if the dam or rock goes, this place will be flooded 
in no time. Can your machine carry four? ” 

“Surest thing you know,” cried the aviator 
jovially, “especially when two are kids. The old 

bus is good for What in blazes ! ” 

Underfoot the plain rocked and swayed, the 
widespread planes of the machine tipped back and 
forth; from the distant city came the crash of 
falling walls and dizzy, terrified, staggering, the 
four glanced towards the lofty cliffs below the lake. 

Even as they looked, a great slice of the moun- 
tainside swayed, trembled and fell in a thunderous 
crash and, following it, — flashing white in the sun, 
roaring like an avalanche, spouting like a titanic 
geyser, — poured a mighty cataract. 

“Quick!” shouted Dr. Woodward. “It’s given 
way! Into the machine! There’s no time to 
lose!” 

But even before his words were spoken, the two 
boys had scrambled into the airplane. Dr. Wood- 
ward was at their heels. The aviator rushed 
forward and frantically spun the propeller. The 


288 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND 


motor roared, and leaping into his seat the aviator 
threw open the throttle. Slowly, the machine 
moved forward. Rapidly it gained speed and in a 
moment more it was sailing swiftly above the 
plain. Upward it rose; higher and higher as it 
neared the end of the valley. Steadily mounting, 
it swung in a great curve. A hundred feet above 
the ruined buildings of the city it swept, and 
looking down, the boys saw the streets already 
flooded with the water pouring from the lake. 
Round and round the valley in a huge, graceful 
spiral the machine roared, while, far below, the 
overwhelming flood spread over streets and plain 
and crumbled masonry. Up, up, the airplane 
climbed. Like a sheet of blue the flooded valley 
lay a thousand feet below. Walls, shrubbery, 
ruins — all were gone. Where once had been the 
city and fair green plain was now a shimmering, 
sunlit lake. Above its surface only one object 
showed, — the great black idol on its lofty pyramid. 

“I guess that’s the last we’ll see of the old god,” 
yelled Harry, raising his voice above the roar of 
the motors, “and we didn’t find that radium 
stuff either. Now we’ll never know where it came 
from. ” 


OUT OP THE CLOUDS 


289 


a 

“Don’t be too sure of that,” his father ad- 
monished him. “It’s my opinion he’ll lead us a 
long chase yet, if I’m not mistaken regarding some 
discoveries I made down there. ” 

“Hurrah!” cried Harry. “Then we haven’t 
come to the end of his trail yet. ” 

Far above the mountain tops the airplane 
poised. Like a vast green blanket cut with silver 
threads of rivers, stretched the unknown forests 
of Darien. A hundred miles ahead lay the Canal 
and civilization. 

Leaning from the cockpit, Fred waved his hand, 
and as the airplane flashed homeward over the 
forbidden land: “See you later, old Billikins!” he 
shouted. 


„♦ 


Connie Morgan 
in the Lumber Camps 

By 

James D. Hendryx 

Autkor of ^‘Connie Morgan in Alaska/* **Conme Morgan 
with the Mounted/* etc. 

All his many friends will be glad to 
greet Connie Morgan again. 

This time we find him in the timber 
regions of northern Minnesota, where 
he solves a mystery that robbed him 
and his partner of thousands of dollars’ 
worth of logs. He is the same straight- 
forward lad “who finds out what has to 
be done, and does it the best he knows 
how.” 

Mr. Hendryx has lived much in the 
lumber woods and has written an ex- 
cellent, exciting story of adventure. 


G. P. Putnam’s Sons 

New York London 


Connie Morgan in 
the Fur Country 

By 

James B. Hendryx. 

Connie Morgan, stalwart, true, cou- 
rageous, long a friend to a host of boy 
readers, now wends his adventurous 
way into the land of the trapper. This is 
a story of the “Big North” — the gaunt, 
white, silent land beyond the common 
haunts of men, the land of unmapped 
mountains and lonely trails, where men 
are rough, but big hearted, and where 
men of small hearts are not wanted. 


G. P. Putnam’s Sons 

New York London 


The Frozen Barrier 

By 

Belmore Browne 

Illustrated 

The author not only writes real books 
for real boys, he lives them. He has 
had a vast experience in the great north- 
ern wastes, and his settings are authen- 
tic. George Draper and Fred Morgan, 
who set out on The Quest of the Golden 
Valley, and who were greeted again in 
The White Blanket, now meet with other 
desperate adventures as they pack into 
the very heart of Alaska-erupting vol- 
canoes, sliding glaciers, encounters with 
grizzlies, through which they emerge 
triumphant. 


G. P. Putnam’s Sons 

New York London 


The White Blanket 

By 

Belmore Browne 

Author of **The Quest of the Golden Valley,** etc. 

12 °. Illustrated 


A sequel to The Quest of the Golden Valley, 
this time taking the chums through the vicissi- 
tudes of an Alaskan winter. 

They travel over snow-covered mountain 
ranges and frost-bound plateaus to the rolling 
caribou mountains of the unknown interior. 
In their wanderings they experience many 
strange adventures, and overcome the numer- 
ous hardships that are familiar to the men of 
the Northern wilderness. They trap the many 
fur-bearing animals, hunt the big game, camp 
with the Indians, do dog-driving, snowshoeing, 
etc. With the coming of spring they descend 
one of the wilderness rivers on a raft and 
at the eleventh hour, after being wrecked in 
a dangerous canyon, they discover a fabulous 
quartz lode, and succeed in reaching the sea 
coast. 


G. P. Putnam’s Sons 

New York London 



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